DON^MIGUEL 

-LEHUMADA 


•X  ** 


SUE 
REENLEAF 


LI         RY 

UNIVi    S  TY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 


3513 
f^C 

ox 


DON  MIGUEL  LEHUMADA 

DISCOVERER   OF  LIQUID 
FROM  THE   SUN'S   RAYS 


BY 

SUE    GREENLEAF 


NEW    YORK 
B.  W.   DODGE   AND   COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1906,  BY 
B.  W.  DODGE  AND  COMPANY 


WITH  SORROW  IN  MY  HEART 

AND 
MUCH  PITY  FOR  THE  WEAK 

WHO  PUT  STUMBLING  BLOCKS  IN  MY  PATH 

AND 
WISHED  MY  LIFE  A  PERPETUAL 

SLOUGH  OF  DESPOND, 

!  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATE  THIS  VOLUME. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

The  Arrival  of  SeQor  Don  Miguel  Lehumada  from  Kansas 
City — A  Scene  in  the  Scientist's  Study,  Chihuahua ...  9 

CHAPTER  II. 

Harriet  Motuble  Tells  Julio  Murillo  of  His  First  Incar 
nation  18 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Death  of  President  Diaz,  the  Annexation  of  Mexico 
to  the  United  States — Helen  Hinckley  Becomes  the 
Private  Secretary  of  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y 
Falomir  , 27 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Plunger  from  Kansas  Returns  to  Chihuahua  and 
Takes  "Memory  Fluid"  and  Remembers 42 

CHAPTER  V. 

Governor  Miguel  Lehumada  Lectures  Upon  "Liquid  from 
the  Sun's  Rays" 55 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Mrs.  Grange  Disports  Herself  before  the  Distinguished 
Visitors,  a  Scene  Ensues,  and  President  Mortingo 
Avows  His  Intentions  of  Becoming  a  Subject 70 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Catalina  Martinet  Surprises  the  President  by  Telling  Him 
She  Remembered  Him  in  a  Life  Gone  by 85 


iv  Contents. 

CHAPTER  VIII.                                   PAGE 
The  Plunger  from  Kansas  Confesses  to  the  Crime  He  Com 
mitted  150  Years  Ago,  in  1898 99 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Harriet  Motuble  Reports  Herself  Dead  and  Tells  of  Revo 
lutionists'  Intentions 114 

CHAPTER  X. 
A  Day   Full   of   Conundrums 131 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Governor  Lehumada  and  Others  Visit  the  Motuble  Tomb 
and  Arrest  the  Leaders  of  the  Conspiracy — President 
Mortingo  Returns  to  Washington 146 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Harriet  Motuble  Addresses  the  Conspirators,  in  the  Guise 
of  a  Man — Helen  Hinckley  Flies  Through  the  Air, 
Overcoming  the  Law  of  Gravitation,  with  Governor 
Lehumada,  and  Saves  His  Life 162 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
The  Peace  of  the  Soul  that  Passeth  all  Understanding 177 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Helen  Hinckley  and  Catalina  Martinet  Meet  in  the  Alameda 
— Catalina  Desires  to  Pass  Away  and  Live  Again ....  193 

CHAPTER  XV. 

Helen  Hinckley  and  Catalina  Martinet  Help  to  Disperse 
the  Conspirators  by  Suspending  Themselves  in  the 
Air  210 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Harriet  Motuble,  Disguised  as  a  Physician,  Visits  Julio 
Murillo — The  Leaders  of  the  Conspiracy  Send  a  Writ 
ten  Confession  to  Governor  Lehumada — Then  Will  their 
Souls  Away  While  Taking  Ebony  Fluid 226 


Contents.  v 

CHAPTER  XVII.  PAGK 

The  Governor  and  Party  View  the  Ebonized  Bodies  of 
Marriet  Motuble,  Francisco  R.  Cantu,  and  Albert 
Hernandez,  and  Demonstrate  the  Use  of  Ebony  Fluid 
Upon  the  Corpse  of  Reverend  J.  T.  Note 241 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Trial  of  the  Plunger  from  Kansas,  and  the  Flight 
of  Catalina's  Soul 258 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

Governor  Lehumada  Nominated  President  of  the  United 
States — His  Marriage  to  Helen  Hinckley  and  the  Pass 
ing  Away  of  Mrs.  Grange 275 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Celebration  of  the  Seventh  Anniversary  of  President 
Lehumada's  Marriage,  Music  by  the  Spirit  Band — 
Little  Helen  and  "Miguey,"  the  President's  Children, 
Tell  of  Their  Reincarnation..  ..292 


DON  MIGUEL  LEHUMADA 

Discoverer  of  Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  I. 

ix   THE   SCIENTIST'S   STUDY. 

THE  private  study  of  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  in 
the  State  House  of  Chihuahua,  always  had  an  air  con 
ducive  to  study. 

His  fame  as  a  scientist,  as  a  man  of  great  moral 
force,  as  a  man  who  lived  his  daily  life  in  a  highly 
spiritual  manner,  was  broadcast  in  the  land. 

His  most  casual  acquaintances  unconsciously  grew 
thoughtful,  studious,  and  better  by  knowing  him. 

He  was  of  purely  Mexican  origin,  and  his  friends 
delighted  in  calling  him  "Senor"  Gonzales — as  was 
the  custom  of  the  people  when  Chihuahua  was  one  of 
the  States  of  "The  Republic  of  Mexico,"  a  nation  long 
since  only  known  as  having  existed  by  reading  from  the 
pages  of  history. 

The  great  love  and  respect  constantly  shown  him 
by  his  daily  associates  proved  the  exception  to  the  rule 
that  "A  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own 
country  and  amongst  his  own  kin/' 

He  was  not  honored  as  mankind  was  honored  in  the 


10          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

nineteenth  century — for  his  social,  political  or  finan 
cial  position — but  for  his  moral,  intellectual,  and 
spiritual  development. 

Julio  Murillo,  a  fellow  student  who  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  office-man,  was  a  small  but  well-built  typical 
Mexican,  nearing  the  end  of  his  fifth  incarnation. 

He  spent  no  time  regretting  his  past  actions,  nor  fear 
ing  the  future. 

Every  moment  he  lived  the  best  in  him,  and  studied 
to  make  "the  best"  better  on  the  morrow. 

On  the  morning  our  story  opens  he  had  finished  his 
regular  rounds  of  tidying  the  reception-chamber,  and 
was  at  work  in  a  small  alcove  room  adjoining,  on  the 
properties  extracted  from  the  sun's  rays,  by  means  of 
a  glass  chemical  instrument.  At  the  focus  the  rays 
were  liquidized,  separated,  and  blended  into  "Memory 
Fluid/' 

Although  the  analysis  under  way  was  exceedingly  in 
teresting  to  him,  he  was  not  in  the  least  disturbed, 
when  a  noise  much  resembling  the  faint  tingling  of  a 
small  silver  bell  announced  that  he  must  leave  his 
pleasant  occupation  and  receive  some  visitor. 

When  he  reached  the  reception-room  he  stood  with 
his  hand  upon  the  knob  of  the  door,  which  he  was  about 
to  open  to  admit  a  visitor,  when  a  beautiful  smile  over 
spread  his  countenance  and  he  murmured:  "It  is  his 
Honor/' 

The  door  opened  noiselessly  and  a  man  in  every  way 
worthy  the  name  of  man  stood  before  him. 

"Your  Honor,"  he  said,  extending  his  hand  in  greet- 


In  the  Scientist's  Study.  11 

ing,  which  was  eagerly  seized  by  the  visitor,  "pass,  sir, 
and  be  seated;  Senor  Gonzales  will  receive  you  in  a 
very  short  time.  There — the  clock  is  striking  the 
half  hour ;  in  fifteen  minutes  he  will  be  at  your  Honor's 
service.  The  morning  paper,  'your  Honor?  Wonder 
ful  discoveries  in  Science,  in  Art,  in  Man." 

The  visitor  thanked  Julio  Murillo  as  he  took  the 
paper,  and  seating  himself  in  one  of  the  many  com 
fortable  chairs  in  the  room,  he  said: 

"I  have  read  the  paper,  sir ;  others  than  our  kind  are 
no  doubt  astonished  at  its  contents.  There  will  be  more 
convincing  statements  made  within  thirty  days.  In 
fact,  I  believe  our  evidence  will  be  so  strong,  that  every 
one  will  believe  the  history  of  the  case  and  the  matter 
will  be  forever  settled  soon. 

"I  am  sure  your  investigations,  Julio,  will  strengthen 
our  case  materially.  Now,  sir,  I  beg  of  you  to  con 
tinue  your  absorbing  study,  and  I  will  remain  here  in 
meditation  until  Senor  Gonzales  grants  me  an  inter 
view.  One  cannot  give  too  much  time  to  thought,  so  do 
me  the  favor  not  to  detain  yourself  longer." 

Julio  Murillo  shook  hands  with  the  distinguished 
visitor,  and  with  much  the  same  smile  he  had  on  en 
tering  the  room,  he  left  to  resume  his  scientific  in 
vestigations. 

The  large,  handsome,  princely  looking  visitor  walked 
the  richly  covered  floor  thoroughly  wrapped  in  pleasant 
and  highly  scientific  meditations. 

He  was  not  long  kept  waiting  for  his  host's  welcome. 

He  stooped  to  pick  up  a  nosegay  which  dropped  from 
his  coat,  and  when  he  raised  his  head,  Guillermo  Gon- 


12         Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

zales  stood  before  him,  by  the  side  of  his  writing-table, 
with  outstretched  hands. 

The  partition  separating  the  two  rooms  had  disap 
peared  as  if  by  magic,  and  they  stood  alone  in  one 
grand  room. 

A  giant  was  not  at  hand,  nor  neither  were  the  powers 
of  a  magician  employed  to  make  the  partition  disap 
pear  so  quickly.  It  was  constructed  on  the  same  plan 
as  sliding-doors,  but  it  moved  with  more  rapidity  and 
much  less  noise. 

The  two  distinguished  men  greeted  each  other  with 
the  embrace  and  handshake  characteristic  of  their 
ancient  Mexican  ancestors. 

In  the  privacy  of  his  study  Guillermo  Gonzales 
always  addressed  the  friend  of  his  youth, — and  his 
friend  during  the  other  lives  which  they  had  lived  gen 
erations  ago  in  the  Eepublic  of  Mexico,  ay,  in  the  same 
city  where  they  now  lived — the  capital  of  Chihuahua 
— in  the  most  familiar  schoolboy  fashion. 

"Miguey,  my  boy,  this  is  indeed  a  most  pleasant  sur 
prise.  You  returned  when?" 

The  friend  of  the  scientist  was  none  other  than  the 
renowned  man  of  letters  and  the  Governor  of  Chi 
huahua,  Senor  Don  Miguel  Lehumada. 

"Last  night,  only,  my  friend.  I  have  much  to  tell 
you, — much  to  tell  you." 

The  scientist  drew  a  large,  comfortable  chair  on 
either  side  of  the  table  on  which  he  had  been  conduct 
ing  his  most  recent  experiments,  and  motioning  his 
friend  to  the  seat,  they  sat  down  facing  each  other. 

"I,  too,  have  things  of  importance  to  relate.  Your 
Honor,  proceed;  my  whole  attention  is  yours." 


In  the  Scientist's  Study.  13 

The  Governor  leaned  his  handsome  head  on  the  back 
of  his  chair  with  a  grace  befitting  the  man  he  was,  and 
said: 

"What  I  have  to  tell  will  not  startle  you,  nor  did  it 
surprise  me  when  I  learned  it. 

"A  volcanic  eruption  could  not  have  created  more  of 
a  sensation  over  the  entire  United  States,  or  in  all 
Europe,  than  is  now  taking  place  on  account  of  the 
knowledge  they  have  of  our  scientific  discoveries. 
However,  to  come  to  the  point,  I  positively  located, 
during  my  recent  visit  to  the  North,  'The  Plunger 
from  Kansas.' }' 

Guillermo  Gonzales  arose  from  his  chair  and  clasped 
his  friend  in  his  arms. 

"Miguey,  dear,  dear  Miguey,  victory  is  ours !  Par 
don  my  enthusiasm !  While  I  know  we  are  working  the 
right  clue,  I  am  overjoyed  that  you  should  have  the 
pleasure  of  locating  'The  Plunger !' ': 

The  scientist  did  not  resume  his  seat;  but  instead 
walked  somewhat  nervously  and  in  deep  thought  back 
and  forth  before  his  honored  guest. 

The  Governor  continued :  "I  met  him  on  the  streets 
of  Kansas  City.  It  was  a  mutual  recognition.  He 
even  stopped,  and  said  in  a  confused  manner: 

"  Tardon  me,  sir,  but  are  you  not  Governor  of  Chi 
huahua?  You  do  not  know  me?' 

"'Yes,'  I  replied,  without  a  moment's  reflection: 
'You  are  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas." ' 

"He  turned  very  white  and  shook  like  an  aspen  leaf. 

"  'It  is  retribution/  he  exclaimed,  'and  it  came  after 
death.  0  God,  is  there  no  peace  for  me  in  this  life  or 


14          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

any  future  life?  Am  I  to  be  an  outcast  and  a  wan 
derer  as  I  was  in  my  second  physical  state,  because  of 
the  small  offence  I  committed  ?  There  is  no  justice  in 
torturing  a  man  through  several  existences,  because  he 
took  a  few  hundred  thousand  dollars  from  his  fellow- 
man,  and  did  some  other  similar  tricks,  which  were 
termed  business  shrewdness  in  those  days.  Governor, 
I  will  now  say  good-bye.  Ketribution  seems  to  be  fol 
lowing  me ;  do  not  aid  its  progress,  I  pray  you !' 

"In  a  moment  he  was  gone.  With  the  assistance  of 
two  detectives,  we  searched  for  him  the  greater  part  of 
three  days  and  nights.  No  clue  whatever  could  we  find 
of  him. 

"Were  I  not  convinced  of  the  truth  of  our  scientific 
investigations,  I  would  be  annoyed  by  his  sudden  dis 
appearance;  but  it  is  of  no  use  to  be  disturbed,  for  we 
know  it  is  only  a  question  of  time  until  he  will  revisit 
the  city  to  which  he  fled,  it  being  the  capital  of  a  State 
of  a  foreign  nation  then,  to  escape  the  wrath  of  hia 
creditors." 

The  scientist  continued  his  walk  back  and  forth, 
listening  intently  to  every  word  his  friend  spoke,  now 
and  then  smiling  his  approval  and  exclaiming :  "True, 
Miguey;  true." 

"For  those  in  touch  with  the  past  and  to  whom  the 
Hidden  is  revealed,  there  is  no  mystery  connected  with 
the  appearance  and  sudden  disappearance  of  the 
Plunger,"  concluded  the  Governor. 

Seating  himself  facing  his  visitor,  the  scientist  said: 

"Various  lengths  of  time  are  necessary  to  teach 
people  of  different  degrees  of  spiritual  development  that 


In  the  Scientist's  Study.  15 

Nature  demands  her  equilibrium  restored,  no  matter  at 
whose  seeming  expense. 

"In  your  book,  'Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,'  Restora 
tion  of  Equilibrium  is  fully  explained.  True,  my  dear 
Miguey,  we  must  give  people  time  to  grow.  The  poor 
little  minds  warped  for  centuries  by  credal  teachings, 
abandon  of  morals,  cannot  be  expected  to  grasp  Truth 
at  a  glance. 

"We  must  feed  them  'Memory  Fluid.'  All  knowl 
edge  of  the  Hidden  must  come  through  Self,  and  our 
discovery  so  wonderfully  described  in  your  work,  now 
of  international  repute,  is  the  only  known  means  to  that 
greatly  desired  end. 

"Come,  Miguey,  tell  me  of  your  reception  in  the 
northern  states.  No  such  a  wave  of  discovery  has  swept 
across  the  world  since  the  time  of  Galileo,  as  that  pro 
duced  by  our  researches  made  known  to  the  public  by 
your  works." 

"My  reception,"  began  the  distinguished  author,  and 
leader  of  his  people,  "was  an  ovation  from  my  exit 
from  this  city  until  my  return. 

"In  my  lecture  at  K ,  I  hinted  at  the  clue  we  were 

at  work  on  to  right  the  wrongs  committed  by  'The 
Plunger  from  Kansas.'  Enthusiasm  ran  high,  and  at 
the  end  of  my  lecture  I  was  carried  from  the  assembly 
room  in  a  white  velvet  chair,  beautifully  decorated  with 
flowers  and  lace,  supported  on  the  shoulders  of  the 
mayor  and  three  other  prominent  citizens. 

"They  wish  to  organize  a  society,  under  our  super 
vision,  to  experiment  with  our  'Memory  Fluid.'  The 
masses  are,  I  believe,  intolerant  with  our  discoveries,  yet 


16          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

they  read  my  work  and  the  newspapers  comments  con 
cerning  it,  no  doubt  out  of  curiosity  alone." 

"It  makes  no  difference,"  added  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales,  "why  they  read  it  or  by  what  means  their  at 
tention  is  drawn  to  Truth;  the  result  is  the  same, — in 
vestigations  follow  at  no  distant  time. 

"A  desire  to  learn  must  be  awakened  in  the  mind  of 
every  creature  before  he  is  in  a  condition  to  develop. 

"Come,  look  through  this  window.  See  those  three 
men  writing  at  that  long  table  ?" 

"I  certainly  do,"  replied  the  Governor;  "what  new 
clue  is  this  that  you  are  at  work  upon?  Ah,  some  of 
those  persons  I  certainly  have  seen  before.  Can  it  be 
that  they  took  part  in  the  Plunger's  drama,  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago  ?" 

"It  is  quite  true,  your  Honor.  Julio  recognized 
them  on  the  street  a  few  days  after  your  departure  for 
the  States." — (A  term  Mexicans  occasionally  use.) 

"They  are  men  of  some  learning,  and  at  Julio's  in 
vitation  called  here  to  take  observation  of  our  investiga 
tions.  He  gave  them  a  few  drops  of  'Memory  Fluid' 
every  time  they  called,  for  one  week,  which  was  every 
day.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  the  tall  man  at  the  right 
of  the  other  two,  Mr.  Niksab,  called  Julio  aside  and  told 
him  in  the  most  confidential  air  that  he  had  undergone 
a  most  wonderful  experience. 

"Scarcely  able  to  control  his  joy  at  the  information 
about  to  be  imparted  to  him,  Julio  asked  him  to  write 
his  experience  and  give  it  to  him  for  future  reference. 
Niksab  did  so,  and  on  the  file  in  Julio's  study  hangs 
the  written  statement  of  his  first  experience  after  tak 
ing  'Memory  Fluid.' 


In  the  Scientist's  Study.  17 

"Since  that  morning  the  other  two  have  made  a  sim 
ilar  confession  to  Julio.  Now  they  come  here  every 
morning  and  write  their  remembrances  of  the  doings  of 
"The  Plunger  from  Kansas/  which  is  put  on  our  file  of 
evidence  to  be  used  at  the  final  reckoning. 

"Niksab  is  the  man  who  found  a  hiding  place  for  the 
Plunger  on  the  occasion  of  his  flight  from  justice,  to 
Chihuahua  in  the  year  1898." 

"I  remember  the  time  well,"  said  the  Governor.  "I 
was  then,  as  now,  Governor  of  the  State.  How  anxious 
we  were  then  for  advancement.  How  proud  we  were  of 
our  city.  How  eagerly  our  peons  grasped  the  ad 
vantages  given  them  then  for  education. 

"Look  at  their  descendants  and  some  of  our  then 
most  common  menials,  who  are  fortunate  to  be  doing 
their  third  and  fourth  existence  since  that  time;  how 
they  have  developed ! 

"Who  are  they  now?  Our  most  noted  judges, 
lawyers,  teachers,  men  of  science  and  letters. 

"Come,  Guillermo,  I  wish  to  pay  a  quiet  visit  to 
the  den  of  our  coworker,  Julio.  Join  me;  otherwise 
we  will  be  delayed  in  bringing  about  the  desired  results 
from  investigations  which  will  take  place  here  and 
elsewhere  in  the  morning." 

,  Arm  in  arm  the  two  great  and  noble  men — working 
for  the  same  cause,  the  spiritual  elevation  of  man — 
left  the  studio  of  the  Scientist  Gonzales,  and  entered 
the  lesser  apartment  of  their  co-worker,  Julio  Murillo. 


18          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  H. 

HIS   FIRST    INCARNATION. 

EARLY  the  next  morning  Julio  Murillo  was  un 
locking  the  side  door  which  led  into  his  quiet  study 
adjoining  the  reception-room  of  the  great  scientist, 
Guillermo  Gonzales,  when  he  was  surprised  to  hear 
some  one,  evidently  a  stranger,  call  him  by  his  given 
name.  He  pushed  the  door,  he  had  been  unlocking 
open,  and  as  he  stepped  inside,  faced  the  person  who 
addressed  him. 

A  tall,  fair-haired,  rather  masculine  looking  woman 
stood  before  him  with  extended  hand. 

"Good  morning,  Senor  Julio;  good  morning.  It 
is  with  much  pleasure  I  find  you  so  well  and  so 
famous.  My  card,  senor." 

"Pass,  senorita,  pass.  You  do  me  great  honor. 
Be  seated.  In  what  way  can  I  be  of  service  to  you?" 

He  scanned  the  card  closely,  as  he  wheeled  a  com 
fortable  armchair  in  front  of  a  large  window  which 
he  opened,  and  repeated:  "Be  seated." 

The  fair  visitor  stood  in  front  of  the  open  win 
dow  some  minutes  before  taking  the  proffered  chair, 
gazing  with  great  admiration  at  the  rare  and  costly 
flowers  and  foliage,  growing  in  the  patio. 

She  seemed  to  be  in  no  hurry  to  tell  the  object  of 


His  First  Incarnation.  19 

her  visit,  if  she  had  an  object,  neither  did  she  seem  to 
be  a  stranger  to  the  scene  around  her. 

Julio  Murillo  stood  a  little  at  her  back,  his  eyes 
riveted  upon  her  card. 

"Marriet  Motuble!  Harriet  Motuble,"  he  mentally 
exclaimed.  "The  name  means  nothing  to  me;  it  does 
not  even  give  me  food  for  reflection.  But  the  magnifi 
cent  senorita  fills  me  with  unpleasant  memories  of  the 
past.  Can  it  be  that  she  was  in  anyway  associated  in 
times  gone  by  with — with " 

His  mental  comments  were  suddenly  brought  to 
an  end  by  Miss  Motuble  seating  herself,  at  the  same 
moment  drawing  a  chair  close  to  the  one  she  occupied, 
and  saying:  "Sit  here  by  me,  friend  Julio.  I  want 
to  study  your  face  while  I  talk  to  you.  I  am  impressed 
that  we  will  not  long  be  alone,  and  as  there  are  many 
things  I  have  to  say  that  must  be  known  to  no  one  but 
yourself,  I  will  delay  no  longer  telling  them." 

Julio  felt  the  truth  of  her  statements,  and  bent  his 
head  toward  her,  as  he  seated  himself  by  her  side,  that 
he  might  not  lose  a  word  she  spoke. 

"You  are  the  son  of  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles,  of 
Colima.  Your  father  was  a  priest,  while  the  husband 
of  your  mother  was  Seiior  Carlos  Carriles,  a  man  of 
quiet  manners,  but  strong  feeling  and  ardent  senti 
ment  when  convinced  or  aroused. 

"Your  strong  resemblance  to  the  priest,  your  father, 
was  so  noticeable  when  you  reached  the  age  of  six  years, 
that  your  mother's  guilt  needed  no  accuser,  and  in  a 
fit  of  religious  enthusiasm  she  made  a  confession  of 
her  guilt  to  her  husband. 


20          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Senor  Carriles'  sympathies  in  your  behalf  were 
greatly  aroused.  He  sought  the  priest,  a  man  of  much 
wealth  and  prominence  in  the  State,  and  told  him  of 
his  knowledge  of  the  great  sin  he  and  your  mother  had 
committed. 

"Under  the  threat  of  publicly  making  known  his 
sins  to  the  clergy  and  State,  he  agreed  to  take  you 
under  his  guidance  and  to  rear  you  in  a  manner  be 
fitting  his  own  son. 

"This  promise  he  religiously  kept  for  five  years.  Up 
to  that  age  you  were  in  ignorance  of  your  birth.  The 
priest  became  very  ill  and  fearing  death  near  by,  made 
a  full  confession  to  you. 

"He  afterward  recovered,  and  seriously  regretted 
having  made  you  his  confidant. 

"Instead  of  treating  you  as  a  beloved  son,  his  love 
had  during  his  short  illness  turned  to  hate  and  he  com 
pelled  you  to  act  in  the  capacity  of  the  most  common 
menial.  You  rebelled  at  the  change  affairs  had  taken, 
but  by  so  doing  you  only  made  your  existence  the  more 
intolerable. 

"A  lady  tourist  came  to  your  city  one  day,  and 
visited  the  monastery  where  you  lived,  it  being  one 
of  the  many  places  of  interest  in  the  city. 

"She  overheard  a  conversation  between  yourself  and 
the  priest,  wherein  he  threatened  to  murder  you  if 
you  made  known  his  treatment  of  you  and  the  relation 
he  bore  to  you. 

"This  same  lady  met  you  on  the  street  some  days 
later,  and  took  you  at  once  to  the  palace  of  the  kind 
and  high-minded  Governor. 


His  First  Incarnation.  21 

"To  him  she  told  what  she  knew  concerning  you, 
and  besought  the  noble  leader  of  the  people  to  allow 
you  to  speak,  which  he  did. 

"In  a  very  quiet  way  he  had  the  priest  arraigned 
before  the  Church  and  State,  with  the  result  of  the 
priest's  condemnation  and  sentence  of  life. 

"He  was  found  dead  the  next  day  after  he  was 
acquainted  with  the  court's  decision.  , 

"Half  of  his  large  fortune  was  given  to  you  by  the 
Church  and  State,  acknowledging  you,  thereby,  his 
legal  heir.  Is  there  anything  I  have  left  out  of  this 
recital  which  you  recall,  Julio?" 

Julio  straightened  himself  in  the  chair,  the  first 
move  he  had  made  since  Harriet  Motuble  began  her 
recitation,  and  said: 

"The  gist  of  the  subject  you  have  told  perfectly. 
A  few  minor  things  happened  which  I  will  later  re 
count.  How  natural  you  seem  to  me  now.  How 
astonishingly  clear  you  have  related  that  incident 
which  happened  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  and 
which  caused  me  to  go  abroad  to  study;  with  the  result 
that  I  departed  from  the  faith  of  my  father. 

"You  caused  much  trouble  then,  but  I  have  to  thank 
you  for  getting  me  out  of  the  dreadful  mire  of  igno 
rance  into  which  I  was  born  and  where  the  priest  held 
me. 

"I  will  repeat  your  own  words  at  that  time.  You 
said:  'I  will  make  things  warm  for  the  person  who 
commits  crimes,  and  takes  advantage  of  the  inex 
perienced,  young  or  aged.'  Crimes  are  various,  how 
ever.  Your  success  in  that  life  was  not  without  laurels ; 


22          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

in  this,  I  hope  your  mission  is  different  and  on  a 
higher  plane.  You  did  much  harm.  You  are  now 
here  to  aid  us  in  securing  proof  which  will  eventually 
bring  the  Tlunger  from  Kansas'  to  meet  justice — 
for  spite.  He  went  out  of  the  other  life  like  a  flash — 
whether  by  his  own  hand  or  by  the  hand  of  some 
wrathy  creditor,  man  never  knew. 

"The  many  homes  made  desolate  by  his  dishonest 
schemes  must  eventually  be  compensated  for  their 
losses.  Time  is  the  great  adjuster  of  all  wrongs;  and 
the  Plunger's  time  is  not  far  distant." 

"Your  statements  are  true,  my  friend  Julio,  in  every 
detail.  You  have  partially  only  guessed  my  mission 
to  Chihuahua,  however.  Yes,  I  did  harm.  I  am 
searching  for  one  I  loved  in  that  life,  who  suffered 
much  from  the  abuse  of  certain  countrymen  of  her 
own,  then  residing  in  Chihuahua,  Aye,  from  myself." 

"In  truth,"  said  Julio,  "I  am  certain  you  will  locate 
her  in  this  city  before  long." 

"The  great  circle  in  which  Time  moves  shows  our 
planet  nearing  its  perihelion,  and  for  the  next  ninety 
days  the  great  scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  his 
able  assistant,  to  whom  I  am  now  speaking,  will  be 
able  to  demonstrate  to  the  world  the  effect  of  your 
great  discovery,  'The  Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays,'  or 
perhaps  better  known  as  'Memory  Fluid,' "  said  Miss 
Motuble. 

"Aye,"  assented  Julio.  "No  such  means  has  ever 
been  in  the  hands  of  man,  by  which  he  can  effectually 
bring  the  perpetrators  of  crimes  to  justice." 

"And  it  matters  not,"  continued  Miss  Motuble,  "of 
how  long  standing  the  crime  is." 


His  First  Incarnation.  23 

"Not  in  the  least;  not  in  the  least,"  continued  her 
host.  "In  fact,  we  are  thinking  of  trying  to  run  down 
every  person  who  participated  in  that  ancient  and"  in 
human  crime  of  silencing  the  musical  voice  of  Lot's 
wife." 

"If  that  is  done,"  laughed  Miss  Motuble,  "the  truth 
of  the  story  will  be  proven;  but  to  spend  one's  time 
trying  to  prove  such  an  absurd  story  is  a  sin.  Besides 
I  admit  that  the  story  is  of  too  long  standing,  for  you 
and  me  to  interest  ourselves  in  it.  I  am  here  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  making  existence  warm  for  the  many  I 
knew  in  other  lives,  who  failed  to  get  justice  meted  out 
to  them  then.  Indirectly  only  am  I  connected  with 
the  punishment  of  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas.'  Yet 
revenge  prompts  the  motive." 

Further  conversation  between  them  was  interrupted 
by  the  entrance  of  first,  a  little  girl  with  beautiful 
flowers  to  sell,  followed  by  Mr.  Niksab,  and  two  other 
men,  one  an  elderly,  bald-headed,  dissipated  looking 
man,  who  carried  his  hand  on  the  side  of  his  cheek. 
His  face  was  spotted  and  his  mouth  stood  open. 

His  surprise  was  very  noticeable  when  he  saw  Miss 
Motuble.  His  lips  quivered  and  tears  began  to  flow 
from  his  eyes,  like  water  from  a  fountain. 

Julio  Murillo  shook  hands  with  the  three  men,  asked 
them  to  be  seated,  and  then  turned  his  attention  to  the 
little  girl,  who  stood  modestly  by  the  door  waiting  to 
tell  the  object  of  her  call. 

"How  many  posies  must  I  buy  from  my  little  flower 
girl  this  morning?"  said  Julio. 

"One,"  replied  the  child,  "if  it  so  pleases  your  honor, 


24          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

for  it  will  please  thy  mother,  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles, 
for  you  to  do  so." 

"Bless  the  dear  one/'  cried  Harriet  Motuble,  "we 
will  buy  every  posy  she  has.  Come,  gentlemen,  now 
is  the  opportunity  to  show  your  gratitude  to  science 
through  this  child,  who  is  the  living  proof  of  our 
friend's  investigations.  Come,  gentlemen,  who  will  bid 
on  this  child's  posies  ?  One  dollar  for  each  flower.  One 
dollar  once,  one  dollar  twice " 

"Three  dollars  for  each  flower,"  cried  a  voice  from 
Guillermo  Gonzales'  reception-room. 

Julio  Murillo  greeted  the  bidder  as  he  stepped  into 
the  little  study,  with  great  joy.  He  was  accompanied 
by  the  scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales,  who  was  no 
stranger  to  the  three  men,  they  wasted  no  time  to  show 
their  good  will  and  great  respect  for  him. 

The  flower-girl  curtesied  to  the  two  distinguished 
men.  She  was  something  more  than  a  simple  child 
to  them.  She  was  the  living  proof  of  their  scientific 
investigations. 

The  fair  auctioneer  continued  crying:  "Three  dollars 
for  each  posy  once;  three  dollars  for  each  posy  twice; 
three  dollars  for  each  posy " 

"Four  dollars  I  bid !"  cried  the  blear-eyed,  spotted 
faced,  bald-headed,  dissipated  looking  man.  "Four 
dollars,  I  say.  Four  dollars,  I  say." 

The  pretty  child  made  a  curtesy  to  the  fair  auction 
eer,  and  cried:  "No,  no,  senorita,  take  not  the  money 
of  so  bad  a  man." 

Prostrating  herself  before  the  great  benefactor  of 
his  people,  she  continued: 


His  First  Incarnation.  25 

"Your  Honor,  shield  me  from  so  bad  a  man!  I 
would  go  hungry  and  sleep  en  la  calle  sooner  than 
live  well,  from  the  Mnero  of  so  bad  a  man.  Tengo 
liambre,  tengo  hambre!  But  let  me  die  for  want  of 
food;  let  me  die.  I  cannot  look  in  the  face  of  so  vile 
a  man."  The  child  turned  her  face,  so  full  of  fright 
and  abhorrence,  toward  the  man  she  loathed,  and  as  she 
cried  in  a  voice  full  of  agony :  "Go,  great  demon,  go !" 
she  fainted  away. 

The  great  good  man  to  whom  she  so  piteously  ap 
pealed,  lifted  her  tenderly  in  his  arms  and  laid  Eer 
on  the  couch  in  Julio  Murillo's  little  study. 

The  fair  auctioneer  followed  and  devoted  her  time 
immediately  to  restoring  the  child,  aided  by  Julio 
Murillo. 

The  Governor  returned  to  the  reception-room  and 
placing  himself  in  front  of  the  repulsive  stranger,  said : 

"Give  an  account  of  the  strange  actions  of  the  little 
girl  toward  you.  If  you  have  done  that  fair  child,  who 
is  modesty  and  purity  itself,  an  injury,  it  must  be  re 
paired  at  once,  and  on  your  bended  knees  at  that.  Ex 
plain  matters,  sir !" 

"I  do  not  know  the  child,"  began  the  man. 

"That  is  not  the  case,"  quickly  responded  Guillermo 
Gonzales  and  Mr.  Niksab  in  one  voice. 

"I  beg  of  your  Honor,  and  you,  my  friends,  to  be 
lieve  me.  I,  J.  Ecarg,  have  never  injured  a  child  in 
my  life.  I  never  saw  the  girl  until  this  moment.  I 
beg  of  your  Honor  to  have  faith  in  my  statements.  I 
know  nothing  of  this  child  whatever." 

"Kemember,"  said  Mr.  Niksab,  as  he  handed  him  a 


26          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

glass  of  liquid,  which  he  put  to  his  lips  and  quickly 
drained.  "Remember"  he  again  repeated,  as  he  took 
the  empty  glass  and  placed  it  on  the  stand.  "It  is 
Memory  we  are  cultivating.  Memory,  John;  Mem 
ory." 

"With  your  Honor's  consent  we  will  take  this  subject 
into  the  reflection-room,"  said  the  great  scientist.  "He 
is  one  with  whom  we  have  been  experimenting/' 

Mr.  Fiksab  and  the  scientist  supported  Mr.  Ecarg  on 
either  side. 

"'Memory  Fluid'  is  beginning  to  do  its  work,  and 
remorse  of  conscience  makes  him  limp,"  said  Mr. 
Niksab. 

"This  is  a  great  world — a  wonderful  age  of  scientific 
discovery.  Pass,  gentlemen,  into  the  reflection-room. 
Pass  at  once.  I  am  rejoiced  to  know  that  we  have  an 
other  clue  which  may  in  some  way  lead  to  valuable  in 
formation  concerning  the  one  subject  which  is  consum 
ing  the  greater  part  of  our  present  investigations/'  con 
cluded  the  Governor. 

Mr.  Ecarg  very  much  resembled  a  man  who,  after 
years  of  dissipation  was  now  entering  upon  one  of  his 
big  monthly  or  weekly  drunks. 

As  the  trio  was  passing  from  the  Governor's  presence, 
the  scientist  said: 

"Does  memory  not  recall  this  man,  your  Honor?  I 
am  sure  of  him.  A  glorious  victory  is  close  at  hand." 

In  a  thoughtful  mood  the  Governor  followed  them  to 
the  door,  through  which  they  disappeared  from  view, 
but  he  made  no  response  to  the  scientist's  question. 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.         27 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    DEATH    OF    PRESIDENT    DIAZ. 

THE  two  great  scientists,  Senor  Don  Miguel  Lehu- 
mada  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  had  been  more 
successful  in  their  treatment  with  "Liquid  from  the 
Sun's  Rays" — or  "Memory  Fluid,"  as  their  wonderful 
discovery  had  become  to  be  known — than  their  most 
sanguine  hope  for  its  success  could  have  been  in  the 
start. 

Their  belief  in  the  first  place  was  that  they  had 
secured  a  fluid  from  the  Sun,  which  would  under 
proper  conditions  destroy  every  species  of  bacteria  in 
man;  that  while  the  death  of  disease  was  taking  place, 
each  of  the  mental  faculties  and  the  spiritual  nature  of 
man  as  well,  would  begin  taking  on  its  normal  condi 
tion,  and  when  the  body  became  freed  from  all  deplet 
ing  causes,  these  faculties  would  be  in  a  condition  to 
rise  to  a  high  degree  of  development.  Further,  they 
believed  that  the  fluid  they  had  discovered  would  have  a 
particular  effect  upon  the  memory ;  not  only  in  restoring 
it  to  its  normal  condition,  but  in  causing  it  to  bring 
to  mind  every  incident  in  one's  life. 

But  strange  to  say,  their  wonderful  fluid  went  further 
in  its  effect  upon  memory,  than  the  present  life  of  the 
person  upon  whom  the  experiments  were  being  carried. 


28          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

It  penetrated  the  sarcophagus  of  every  previous  exist 
ence  and  resurrected  every  thought  and  experience. 
It  mirrored  all  the  physical,  social  and  spiritual  en 
vironments,  of  each  life  of  the  person  as  plainly  to  him 
as  if  they  were  occurrences  of  yesterday  instead  of  the 
rt-membrances  of  events  in  one's  other  lives;  which  he 
had  lived  perhaps  ages  and  ages  ago. 

It  was  not  until  many  experiments  had  been  per 
formed  successfully,  and  the  remembrances  of  each  sub 
ject  faithfully  recorded,  that  they  let  the  public  know 
of  their  wonderful  achievements. 

Then  it  received  its  first  knowledge  of  the  scientific 
investigations  and  the  results,  of  the  two  scholarly  men 
of  Chihuahua  through  the  medium  of  the  work — 
"Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays"  by  the  distinguished 
Governor  of  the  State. 

The  eyes  of  the  entire  world  were  centered  upon  them 
at  this  time,  watching  intently  for  their  great  test  case 
to  be  concluded.  A  case  which  they  claimed  would  fur 
nish  the  world  sufficient  proof  to  convince  it,  that  their 
great  discovery,  "Memory  Fluid,"  accomplished  all  they 
claimed  for  it  and  very  much  more. 

On  his  return  from  "the  States,"  the  Governor  had 
said,  that  in  twenty-four-hours'  time  they  would  have 
sufficient  proof  collected  to  enable  them  to  give  the  re 
sults  of  their  test  case  to  the  public.  And  in  truth, 
they  did  have;  but  complications  had  arisen  which 
would  result  in  them  being  able  to  give  stronger  proof 
of  the  effect  of  "Memory  Fluid"  upon  mind  and  matter. 

But  these  very  complications  would  require  time  for 
arrangement,  and  the  public  must  wait.  The  eager, 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.        29 

avaricious  public,  tale-bearing  public,  panted  with  sus 
pense,  caused  by  the  delay. 

The  two  great  men  were  in  no  hurry;  they  had 
reached  their  present  plane  of  advancement  by  a  suc 
cession  of  lives  carefully  planned  during  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years. 

Fifty  years  seems  a  long  time  for  the  single  life  of 
one  man,  and  it  is.  But  when  a  person  with  a  mind  so 
full  of  desire  for  knowledge  is  cut  off  at  the  end  of  fifty 
years,  the  time  seems  short.  He  is  cut  off  at  an  age  in 
which  he  is  in  a  condition  to  begin  to  take  on  higher 
and  better  knowledge.  It  is  the  desire  for  a  continu 
ance,  on  a  higher  plane,  in  a  physical  life  that  causes  one 
to  return  to  earth  and  take  up  the  new  life  where  the  old 
left  off. 

The  press  spoke  of  the  two  scientists  as  marvels  of 
the  day.  It  claimed  that  history  did  not  record  any 
great  discovery  to  have  been  made  by  men  so  young  as 
the  discoverers  of  "Memory  Fluid/'  hence  they  were 
spoken  of — not  without  satire,  however — as  being  in 
spired — and  their  discovery — if  it  contained  a  grain  of 
truth — as  a  miracle. 

Ten  years  previous  these  two  great  men,  living  in  the 
the  same  city,  meeting  only  occasionally  and  then  as 
strangers,  had  for  many  years  secretly  recognized  each 
other  as  a  compatriot,  a  fellow-student ;  a  friend  in  other 
lives,  two  other  lives  long  since  passed  away.  Yet  for 
the  want  of  more  confidence  in  self ;  for  the  courage  to 
confront  his  fellowman  and  avow  his  knowledge  of  a 
superior  soul  development  and  physical  advancement, 
each  held  aloof. 


30          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

The  occasion  for  mutual  acknowledgment  arrived. 
It  was  a  supreme  moment.  They  fell  on  each  other's 
necks  and  wept  for  pure  joy.  From  that  moment  they 
spent  hours  each  day  reviewing  events  of  their  past; 
studying  to  develop  the  present,  to  bring  about  by 
scientific  discoveries,  a  means  which  would  show  to  the 
world  that  the  sins  committed  in  this  body  must  be  ap 
peased  on  earth ;  if  not  in  the  life  in  which  the  sins  were 
committed,  then  in  another  life.  Perhaps  the  guilty 
one  would  pass  through  several  lives  unmolested;  but 
the  day  of  reckoning,  however,  certainly  would  come, 
retribution  would  surely  overtake  every  evil  doer. 

The  result  of  their  investigations  was  the  famous 
"Memory  Fluid,"  which  accomplished  for  them  more 
than  they  hoped. 

It  was  with  much  amusement  often,  that  the  two  wise 
men  discussed  the  subject  of  their  youth,  at  which  the 
public  marveled.  How  well  they  knew  they  were  not 
young  in  experience,  or  years.  It  was  laughable  to  read 
the  statements  of  the  credulous  editors,  credulous  from 
a  materialistic  point  of  view;  but  wholly  incredulous 
when  it  came  to  questions  of  spiritualistic  discussion. 

The  age  in  which  they  now  lived  was  more  in  sym 
pathy  with  materialistic  ideas  than  in  any  of  their 
previous  existences.  They  were  not  surprised,  for  it 
seemed  prophetic  that  evil,  that  materialistic  views, 
should  reach  the  pinnacle  of  fame  before  a  revolution 
would  occur  which  would  demolish  their  false  ideas. 
And  they  had  hoped  that  the  revolution  was  near  at 
hand — and  they  prayed  that  it  might  be  brought  about 
by  their  wonderful  discovery.  Victory  was  sure  to  fol- 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.         31 

low.  And  what  a  glorious  victory  it  would  be!  A 
victory  of  life  over  death;  of  health  over  disease;  of 
spirit  over  flesh;  of  the  righting  of  all  wrong;  of  the 
assurance  of  everlasting  life. 

Events  which  pointed  very  plainly  to  materialistic 
and  spiritualistic  controversy  were  taking  place  on  every 
hand,  yet  the  masses  adhered  to  materialistic  views  or  to 
the  dogmatic  teachings  of  the  churches. 

A  hundred  and  thirty-eight  years  had  passed  since  the 
American  Continent  was  convulsed  by  an  internal  revolu 
tion.  This  revolution  took  place  immediately  upon  the 
death  of  President  Diaz,  of  the  Eepublic  of  Mexico. 

It  was  a  short  and  terrible  conflict.  At  the  earnest 
solicitation  of  all  State  officials ;  of  the  entire  army ;  of 
a  large  majority  of  the  professional  fraternity ;  of  prom 
inent  people  of  wealth  and  business,  the  United  States 
interfered  in  behalf  of  the  law-abiding  citizens  of  the 
Kepublic ;  and  quelled  the  internal  revolt. 

The  mere  presence  of  the  army  of  the  United  States 
upon  Mexican  soil,  the  fact  of  the  army  of  so  great  a 
nation  occupying  their  soil,  not  by  force,  but  by  the 
earnest  pleadings  of  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  Mexico , 
those  who  wished  to  see  the  republican  form  of  govern 
ment,  established  by  General  Diaz,  continued,  was 
enough  within  itself  to  keep  the  small  parties  of  revolu 
tionists  in  each  state  quelled. 

Only  a  small  number  of  fights  occurred,  and  in  each 
but  very  few  lives  were  lost. 

During  the  year  the  American  army  occupied  Mexico, 
and  many  of  her  best  war  ships  were  anchored  off  the 
Mexican  coast  for  further  protection,  the  Mexican  people 


32          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

convinced  themselves  thoroughly  of  their  impossibility 
to  maintain  a  republican  form  of  government  when 
there  were  so  many  small  factions  fighting  for  the 
rulership  of  the  nation ;  and  there  was  not  a  man  in  the 
army  or  in  any  other  vocation  of  life,  who  had  the  con 
fidence  of  the  educated  sufficiently  to  unite  them,  or  the 
power  to  hold  the  peons  and  rabble  in  submission. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  the  state  of  their  unset 
tled  condition  was  awful  to  behold.  Something  must  be 
done,  and  that  quickly;  or  a  fearful  struggle,  a  long 
war  would  take  place. 

It  was  finally  decided  to  ask,  to  petition  the  Ameri 
can  government  to  annex  the  Mexican  Eepublic  to  the 
United  States  of  America,  without  any  delay,  provided 
three-fourths  of  the  States  of  Mexico  and  a  majority  of 
voters  in  the  Federal  District  desired  it. 

The  day  set  on  which  votes  for  and  against  annexa 
tion  should  be  cast  was  the  same  day  of  the  month  on 
which  occurred  the  birth  of  General  Porfirio  Diaz — the 
greatest  leader  they  had  ever  known;  the  maintainer 
of  peace  and  progress  in  their  land — the  fifteenth  of 
September. 

The  scenes  enacted  on  the  day  of  voting  made  another 
black  page  in  the  history  of  the  Mexican  people. 

The  combined  effort  of  the  Mexican  army  in  favor  of 
annexation  and  the  army  of  occupation  saved  the  coun 
try  from  a  most  fearful  homicide. 

The  rabble  set  to  work  by  the  priesthood,  who  seemed 
to  think  the  day  especially  set  apart  for  them  to  gain 
prominence  by  helping  to  defeat  the  annexation  ques 
tion,  caused  the  trouble.  Their  people  plundered,  mur- 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.         33 

dered,  set  fire  to  the  homes  and  business  houses  of 
prominent  people  whom  they  knew  were  in  favor  of 
annexation. 

It  certainly  required  months  for  the  vast  army  of 
rabble  to  be  organized  and  drilled,  to  be  able  to  accom 
plish  so  much  evil  before  their  nefarious  deeds  became 
known,  before  they  started  out  upon  their  grand  parade 
of  open  revolt.  Notwithstanding  there  was  an  organi 
zation  of  this  kind  in  the  capital  of  every  state  in  the 
Kepublic,  a  very  large  majority  of  the  States  went  for 
annexation. 

A  petition  for  immediate  annexation  was  presented  to 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  by  a  large  and 
representative  body  of  Mexican  citizens,  which  pleaded 
for  an  extra  session  of  Congress  to  convene,  which  oc 
curred  with  results  satisfactory  to  each  nation.  And 
Mexico  became  a  part  of  the  United  States  of  America 
without  further  delay.  More  than  one  hundred  years 
had  passed  since  the  memorable  event,  and  Mexico  had 
grown  to  be  possibly  the  most  important  part  of  the 
United  States. 

There  had  been  a  long  reign  of  peace  and  prosperity, 
and  the  fact  that  this  part  of  the  United  States  had 
beea,  long  ago,  a  hot-bed  for  internal  revolution,  was 
only  known  to  the  present  generation  by  reading  from 
the  pages  of  history  an  account  of  her  brave  people 
struggling  for  independence — struggling  for  enlighten 
ment;  for  the  maintenance  of  a  republican  form  of 
government. 

The  two  great  scientists  and  their  most  able  coworker 
were  of  purely  Mexican  origin;  in  no  existence  previ- 


34          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

ous  to  this  one  had  there  ever  been  any  mixing  of  blood. 

Governor  Lehumada  took  no  especial  pride  in  the 
fact  that  there  was  no  Anglo-Saxon  or  other  than  bis 
native  Latin  blood  in  his  veins. 

Neither  did  the  other  two  great  scientists — Guillermo 
Gonzales  or  Julio  Murillo.  They  had  no  prejudices; 
they  were  too  intelligent  and  learned.  They  advo 
cated  intermarriage  of  the  races.  They  believed  that 
it  was  necessary  for  a  high  degree  of  intelligence  to  be 
preserved. 

However,  their  own  existence — the  very  high  degree 
of  their  intellectuality  and  spiritual  development  was 
an  exception  to  the  rule  they  advocated. 

There  are  people  who  without  apparent  cause  carry 
prejudices  in  families  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  while 
their  real  feeling  may  not  have  any  publicity,  is  only 
due  to  the  fact  that  no  occasion  presented  itself  for  them 
to  declare  their  opinions. 

There  are  a  few  of  this  class  of  people  living  in  the 
capital  of  Chihuahua,  who  pride  themselves  on  the  fact 
that  they  have  never  crossed  the  Rio  Grande ;  that  they 
do  not  speak  the  English  language;  that  they  have  no 
associates  amongst  the  Anglo-Saxon  American  people. 
These  persons  are  not  without  influence,  often  being 
people  of  wealth  and  position;  and  they  now  believed 
their  time  had  come  to  make  known  their  views  concern 
ing  the  race  question. 

Many  of  the  large  newspapers  were  full  of  the  absurd 
ideas  of  these  people.  They  claimed  that  the  wonder 
ful  discoveries  of  their  two  townsmen  were  due  to  the 
fact  that  through  their  veins  coursed  no  foreign  blood. 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.        35 

They  claimed  they  could  see  through  the  shadows  events 
which  foretold  the  complete  extinction  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race  on  American  soil  and  the  re-establishment 
of  the  Mexican  Republic.  Sensational  papers  pub 
lished  their  articles,  and  wise  people  laughed  at  them 
over  their  morning  meal. 

When  questioned  about  the  opinions  of  their  country 
men,  the  Governor  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  im 
pressed  their  interviewers  with  the  fact  that  they  were 
perfectly  intolerant  of  such  restricted  ideas.  That  it 
was  very  embarrassing  to  them,  being  of  purely  Mexi 
can  descent,  and  striving  to  bring  about  a  means  for 
the  improvement  of  man,  to  be  held  up  for  a  target  at 
which  the  known  world  would  hurl  its  anathemas. 

They  now  knew  no  nativity  save  the  United  States  of 
America;  they  knew  no  Master  but  God. 

They  held  in  esteem  only  such  people  who  were  striv 
ing  to  improve  their  physical  and  spiritual  state.  They 
held  no  one  in  contempt  because  he  was  poor,  ignorant, 
dissipated;  full  of  disease  and  depravity.  They  knew 
the  time  was  close  at  hand  when  a  desire  would  be  born 
within  the  soul  of  each  for  a  knowledge  of  Truth ;  that 
the  scales  of  disease  which  obscured  the  light  from  their 
soul  would  decay,  and  victory  would  cry  out.  These 
very  people  who  secretly  hated  their  foster-mother  were 
the  stumbling-blocks  to  every  enterprise,  headed  by  a 
person  of  Anglo-Saxon  origin,  particularly  if  the  advo- 
cator  be  of  American  parentage  and  was  born  in  the 
United  States  north  of  the  Eio  Grande. 

They  aided  and  abetted  the  clergy.  They  fought 
strenuously  against  any  modern  improvements  in  the 


36          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Catholic  Church.  Their  ancestors  were  so  bold  once, 
that  they  held  a  meeting  of  indignation,  when  some  of 
their  brethren  of  more  modern  ideas  were  determined 
that  the  poor  of  the  church,  as  well  as  the  rich,  should 
have  comfortable  seats;  they  contended  that  it  was  a 
relic  of  slavery  and  heathenism  for  people  to  prostrate 
themselves  on  a  dirty  floor  to  worship. 

The  voluptuous,  avaricious  priests  hated  to  see  the 
innovation.  They  knew  it  meant  a  waning  of  their 
power.  Yet  when  questioned  by  the  advanced  members 
of  their  flock,  they  could  not  refuse  their  consent. 

The  opposing  party  were  petted  and  pampered  by  the 
priest,  who  consoled  them  by  saying — and  truthfully — 
that  upon  them  the  salvation  of  the  church  rested.  It 
was  a  terrible,  terrible  day  when  the  long,  barren 
church,  save  for  the  candelabras,  the  paintings  of  the 
saints  and  images  of  Marie  and  Jesus,  and  its  won 
derful  altar  of  purple  and  gold,  was  furnished  with 
comfortable  seats  for  the  poor;  the  very  poor,  who  with 
their  centavos,  centavos  (which  they  obtained  mostly  by 
begging  and  plundering),  helped  to  build  the  mag 
nificent  cathedrals,  and  entirely  supported  a  vast  army 
of  parasitic  creatures  called  priests,  in  idleness  and  vo 
luptuousness. 

The  few  in  Chihuahua  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to 
have  for  their  ancestors  a  class  of  people  wedded  to 
Catholicism  as  practiced  in  Mexico  in  1899,  and  adhered 
to  it,  needed  the  sympathy  of  every  enlightened  person 
seeking  for  spiritual  knowledge. 

Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir  was  the  most  prom 
inent  member  of  the  few  who  resented  the  present 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.        37 

regime  of  things,  simply  because  his  forefathers  did 
a  hundred  and  thirty-eight  years  ago.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  wealth.  He  insisted  on  the  "Don"  before  his 
name  and  invariably  signed  his  mother's  name,  Falomir, 
to  his  own,  as  was  the  custom  then. 

His  family  ate  tortillas  and  frijoles  three  times  a 
day;  drank  pulque,  aqua,  miel,  mescal,  and  aguar- 
'diente — the  latter  two  when  they  wished  their  troubles 
drowned;  both  of  which  are  powerful  intoxicants. 

The  male  members  of  the  family  wore  sombreros, 
short  ornamental  coats,  sashes  of  many  colors;  and 
skin-tight  trousers  of  light  colors.  The  women  and 
girls  of  the  family  wore  black  rebozos,  and  lace  mantillas 
over  their  heads ;  the  criada  cooked  on  the  brasero,  and 
never  failed  to  serve  ensaladas  and  tomales  on  holidays 
and  feast  days  as  was  the  custom  from  time  imme 
morial  up  to  the  date  the  Eepublic  became  a  part  of  the 
United  States.  This  family  was  spoken  of  by  their 
townsmen  as  oddities  and  were  rather  liked  for  their  old- 
fashioned  ideas;  they  were  hospitable  to  the  extreme 
with  their  own  countrymen,  and  generous  to  a  fault  to 
the  poor  of  Mexican  lineage  who  adhered  to  the  religion 
of  their  fathers.  They  were  unobtrusive  in  social  affairs 
and  political  affairs,  but  interfered  in  everything  com 
mercial  where  it  was  possible.  , 

Their  interference  was  always  in  a  quiet  way,  how 
ever,  and  attracted  the  attention  of  no  one  but  those 
directly  interested.  They  inherited  the  cunning  and 
silence  of  their  ancestors  and  acquired  more  uncon 
sciously  ;  by  long  contact  with  races  which  held  them 
in  submission.  It  required  no  effort  to  conceal  their 


38          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

real  feeling  toward  the  country  of  which  they  were  now 
a  part,  which  took  them  under  its  protecting  wing  at  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  their  best  people  at  a  time  when 
the  growing  Republic  was  bereft  of  its  main  support; 
the  great  and  noble  leader,  Diaz,  who  caused  every 
avenue  of  progress  to  be  opened  up  for  his  people.  A 
man  who  loved  the  Mexican  people,  for  whom  he  had 
fought  and  labored,  next  to  his  God.  The  American 
people  claimed  him  as  one  of  their  heroes,  and  even 
the  present  generation  honor  his  memory  with  as  much 
fervor  as  if  he  had  been  one  of  them,  as  if  the  Republic 
he  established  and  maintained  had  been  a  part  of  the 
States. 

Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir's  ancestors  be 
longed  to  the  faction  which  strove  to  make  the  Church 
stronger;  to  the  faction  opposed  to  Diazism,  to  prog 
ress.  He  seemed  to  take  an  uncanny  pride  in  nourish 
ing  the  frightful  skeleton  he  had  inherited. 

Little  did  he  think  that  the  very  fact  that  he  made 
bold  to  step  out  and  hold  an  indignation  meeting,  like 
his  ancestors,  against  the  "powers  that  be,"  that  the 
cherished  skeleton  would  be  brought  forth  and  aired 
with  a  result  of  disaster  to  his  present  life,  that  is, 
disaster  in  a  certain  way  As  much  as  Don  Francisco 
R.  Cantu  y  Falomir  hated,  or  pretended  to  hate,  the 
Americans  and  their  language,  he  had  now  in  his  employ 
a  poor,  but  highly  educated  young  American  woman, 
Helen  Hinckley.  She  spoke  his  language  and  under 
stood  it  as  perfectly  as  if  it  were  her  native  tongue. 

She  had  no  prejudices  against  the  race  from  which  her 
employer  claimed  to  have  sprung.  She  rather  admired 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.         39 

the  quaint,  old-fashioned  customs  to  which  he  and  his 
family  adhered. 

She  was  evidently  of  strictly  American  origin.  She 
had  no  relative,  no  home,  and  no  money  but  what  she 
earned.  She  described  herself  as  a  lost  spirit  roving 
over  the  world  in  search  of  friends  and  a  permanent 
abiding-place.  That  was  the  only  answer  she  gave  her 
self  or  anyone  else,  when  questioned  why  she  was  alone 
and  in  Chihuahua  or  any  other  place.  She  had  been  in 
Chihuahua  only  one  night,  when  she  read  in  the  great 
daily,  The  Chihuahuan,  the  next  morning,  the  adver 
tisement  of  her  present  employer,  which  stated  that  he 
wanted  an  educated  American  who  understood  the 
Spanish  as  well  as  his  own  tongue,  who  was  quiet  and 
unobtrusive,  to  act  as  secretary.  He  preferred  a  person" 
with  no  family  ties ;  and  one  who  would  consent  to  live 
in  his  family  for  a  year.  Whatever  salary  such  a  per 
son  required  for  his  services  would  be  forthcoming  at 
the  end  of  each  month. 

When  Helen  Hinckley  walked  into  the  old-fashioned 
adobe  house  standing  in  the  center  of  a  large  garden, 
around  which  was  the  old-time  high  adobe  wall,  and 
stood  in  the  magnificent  patio  gazing  at  the  rare  flowers, 
beautiful  birds  and  sparkling  fountain,  she  felt  as  if 
she  were  not  a  stranger  to  these  very  scenes.  She  was 
startled  and  yet  made  very  happy,  neither  of  which  feel 
ings  could  she  account  for. 

When  shown  into  the  long  reception-room  she  showed 
her  surprise,  to  see  it  full  of  applicants  eager  to  get  the 
position  for  which  she  had  come  to  apply. 

She  was  about  to  retire,  for  she  was  sorry  for  these 


40          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

earnest  breadwinners,  whose  only  happiness  seemed  to 
be  in  material  existence.  Besides,  she  felt  intuitively 
that  if  she  applied,  all  of  those  present,  who  needed  the 
position  worse  than  herself,  would  go  away  with  a  heavy 
heart,  still  she  lingered  in  the  patio. 

To  the  left  of  the  room  where  the  many  applicants 
breathlessly  waited  to  know  their  fate,  was  the  small 
but  well-appointed  office  of  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y 
Falomir,  where,  one  at  a  time,  he  examined  the  appli 
cants. 

When  he  saw  Helen,  he  stepped  to  the  open  door  and 
said:  "Oblige  me,  senorita,  by  passing  into  my  private 
office."  He  immediately  dismissed  the  other  applicants 
with  the  quiet  and  polite  information  that  he  had 
secured  one  whose  recommendations  were  all  he  re 
quired.  He  further  told  them  that  he  hoped  they  would 
soon  secure  employment,  as  no  doubt  they  were  all  com 
petent,  and  (with  a  ring  of  satire  in  his  voice),  being 
Americanos,  were  deserving.  No  great  change  had  come 
over  Don  Francisco  B.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  yet  judging 
by  the  great  enthusiasm  and  cordiality  with  which  he 
greeted  Helen  Hinckley,  on  his  return  to  his  private 
office,  it  seemed  to  indicate  quite  differently. 

"Pardon  me,  senorita,"  he  said  in  greeting,  "but  I 
took  the  liberty  to  say  to  the  other  applicants  that 
I  had  employed  a  competent  person  as  my  secretary, 
meaning  you.  I  hope  you  will  do  me  the  honor  to 
serve  me  in  this  capacity.  In  fact,  you  are  the  person 
whom  I  have  had  in  mind.  Your  duties  will  be  light ; 
in  fact,  for  some  time  to  come,  all  the  day  will  be  yours. 
I  have  only  one  request  to  make,  and  that  is,  while  in  my 


The  Death  of  President  Diaz.         41 

bouse,  you  will  have  no  social  intercourse  with  my  wife 
and  children;  that  you  will  stay  closely  in  your  own 
room  or  in  some  quiet  spot  in  the  garden  which  my 
family  do  not  frequent.  When  I  want  your  services  I 
will  send  the  mozo  for  you.  A  mozo,  saddle  horse,  and 
carriage  are  at  your  disposal.  You  are  from  this 
moment  to  be  at  no  expense.  Every  comfort  of  home 
life  we  will  supply  you  free,  and  your  salary  I  will  pay 
now.  How  much  do  you  require  ?  Will  you  stay  ?" 

Helen  Hinckley  replied  without  any  hesitation: 
"Sir,  you  are  courteous  and  generous  to  the  extreme. 
I  thank  you.  I  will  enter  into  your  employment  at 
once.  I  want  for  my  services,  five  hundred  dollars  a 
month." 

Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir  stepped  to  his 
desk  and  handed  her  the  first  month's  salary  in  shining 
gold;  directed  a  dreamy-eyed  criada  to  show  the 
eenorita  to  her  room,  and  sent  un  mozo  de  cordel  to  the 
hotel  for  all  of  her  belongings. 


42          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PLUNGER  FROM  KANSAS. 

EVENTS  of  great  importance  were  crowding  them 
selves  thick  and  fast  upon  the  attention  of  more  people 
in  the  capital  of  Chihuahua  than  the  leader  of  his 
people,  the  Governor,  and  his  able  coworker,  Guillermo 
Gonzales,  and  Julio  Murillo,  his  assistant. 

Governor  Lehumada  had  long  been  practicing  to 
make  his  personal  desires  subordinate  to  a  very  high 
standard  of  right.  He  had  fixed  his  sole  purpose  of 
thought  upon  a  desire  to  bring  about  a  means  for  the 
recovery  of  memory. 

He  had  received  many  impressions  through  the  gift 
he  had  of  placing  the  spiritual  world  first  in  his 
thoughts  and  his  actions. 

Evil  he  believed  to  be  the  result  of  a  microbic  con 
dition  of  matter.  The  happy  results  obtained  by  the 
rise  of  the  "Memory  Fluid,"  were  turning  the  tide  of 
thought  into  a  more  spiritual  channel,  the  fact  of  which 
was  in  itself  sufficient  compensation  for  the  years  of 
labor  the  great  men  had  had  in  bringing  about  their 
scientific  discovery  of  "Memory  Fluid/' 

The  name  of  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir 
had  within  the  last  ten  days  become  a  household  word 
At  first  most  every  one  looked  upon  his  ideas,  as  por- 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  43 

trayed  by  the  press,  as  a  big  joke;  but  now  the  clergy 
had  made  bold  (for  they  believed  their  staunch  sup 
porter  had  a  big  following,)  to  attack  "Memory  Fluid" 
as  an  enemy  of  life,  as  a  messenger  of  evil.  Yet  they 
hailed  it  as  their  mascot,  for  they  claimed  to  believe 
that,  though  a  great  evil  within  itself,  through  it 
would  come  a  revolution  which  would  result  in  the  re- 
establishment  of  the  Church  and  the  Mexican  Eepublic, 
which  would  be  controlled  by  the  former. 

The  very  audacity  of  such  statements  made  the  public 
stop  to  pant;  and  a  few  stopped  a  little  longer  to  think, 

Governor  Lehumada  was  reviewing  the  ideas  ad 
vanced  by  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  and 
hoped  to  be  given  the  light  which  would  enable  him 
to  see  the  outcome.  So  intent  was  he  with  "his  feast 
with  his  soul"  as  he  termed  his  moments  of  abstraction, 
that  he  did  not  notice  that  Mr.  Niksab  had  returned  to 
the  reception-room.  "Your  Honor/'  spoken  in  a  rather 
loud  voice,  caused  the  Governor  to  start  and  look 
around. 

"Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "I  did  not  hear  you,  so  intent 
was  I  reflecting  upon  all  that  we  have  just  witnessed." 

Mr.  Niksab  bowed,  and  continued:  "The  scientist 
requests  me  to  say  to  you  that  the  subject  now  under 
treatment  is  undergoing  some  wonderful  changes,  and 
your  Honor  will  do  him  a  great  favor  by  witnessing 
the  workings  of  'Memory  Fluid/  " 

"With  much  pleasure.  We  will  enter  at  once.  It 
is  the  eternal  spirit  that  is  calling  out  to  him.  He 
hears,  thank  God,  he  hears/' 

Guillermo   Gonzales  waved  the   Governor  and  Mr. 


44          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Niksab  to  seats  near  the  table  upon  which  J.  Ecarg  lay. 
His  body  was  undergoing  great  pain;  convulsion  after 
convulsion  shook  his  frame.  His  face  was  ghastly  and 
his  features  contorted. 

Mr.  Niksab's  whole  nervous  system  was  wrought  up 
to  the  highest  pitch,  out  of  sympathy  for  his  friend. 
Not  able  to  sit  by  calmly  and  witness  the  fearful  convul 
sions,  he  arose: 

"Great  God  !"  he  exclaimed.     "It  is  death !" 

"It  is  death/'  quietly  assented  the  scientist,  Guillermo 
Gonzales,  which  statement  was  approved  by  a  nod  from 
the  heads  of  the  Governor  and  Julio  Murillo. 

Mr.  Niksab  knelt  by  the  side  of  his  friend,  and  cried 
aloud:  "Great  God,  spare  him  a  while  longer,  that  he 
may  have  time  to  repent." 

"Arise,  my  friend,"  said  the  Governor — "This  is  not 
the  passing  away  of  your  friend.  It  is  only  the  death 
of  diseases  which  have  been  holding  him  down  to  dark 
ness  more  than  two  hundred  years." 

"Give  yourself  no  uneasiness,"  added  Guillermo  Gon 
zales — "your  friend  is  only  reaching  the  point  where 
he  can  live." 

"Hark !"  said  Julio  Murillo.  "Victory  is  close  at 
hand.  Memory  will  assert  itself  soon." 

The  prophecy  of  the  Mexican  was  soon  to  be  ful 
filled.  J.  Ecarg  drew  himself  up  and  said  without  the 
least  hesitation:  "I  remember  the  circumstances  per 
fectly.  I  kept  a  hostelry  of  some  repute  in  this  city 
then.  That  was  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1898.  Being  the 
largest  city  within  only  a  short  distance  of  the  Kio 
Grande,  the  beautiful  and  progressive  Mexican  city  had 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  45 

become  known,  and  not  without  much  regret  from 
the  law-abiding  Mexicans,  as  a  rendezvous  for  many 
Americans  who  were  refugees  from  justice.  As  a  rule 
I  was  not  in  favor  of  shielding  my  countrymen ;  but  my 
heart  went  out  to  a  young  man  who  was  in  such  distress, 
such  great  mental  torture.  He  called  upon  me  late  the 
very  night  of  his  arrival  in  Chihuahua,  and  on  bended 
knee  begged  me  to  shield  him  from  the  fury  of  the 
law.  He  had  no  remorse  of  conscience  for  the  wrongs 
he  had  committed.  His  only  fear  was  the  juzado. 
He  most  likely  would  have  committed  the  same  offences 
upon  Mexican  soil  the  day  of  his  arrival,  if  there  had 
been  the  slightest  opportunity,  and  if  he  had  not  felt 
sure  that  he  would  have  to  face  the  four  bare  walls  of 
a  prison  for  the  remainder  of  his  life.  There  was  a 
man  in  the  city — an  American,  of  good  birth  and  edu 
cation,  a  prospector  and  railroad  man — who  was  my 
friend  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  spoke  the  Mexi 
can  tongue  without  a  flaw.  I  appealed  to  him  to  find  a 
place  of  refuge  on  some  hacienda,  for  our  distressed 
countryman.  My  friend  said : 

"  'Your  will  is  mine.  But  tell  me,  John,  what  is  the 
name  of  this  refugee  from  justice?' 

"'He  is  known,'  I  replied,  'as  "The  Plunger  from 
Kansas." 

A  cry  rang  out  through  the  room,  as  if  some  animal 
of  high  mettle  had  been  wounded. 

Every  one  jumped  to  his  feet  and  the  look  of  pain 
and  surprise  was  quite  visible  on  each  face. 

From  whence  had  the  unearthly  cry  come?  was  the 
unspoken  question  on  the  white  lips  of  all  save  Mr. 
Niksab.  They  soon  understood. 


46          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"He  is  my  friend.  John,  do  you  not  remember?  It 
was  I,  Niksab,  who  took  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas'  in 
a  coach,  on  a  dark,  rainy  night,  to  a  cabin  in  the  moun 
tains  on  the  hacienda  of  Don  Alberto  Ulloa.  I  sup 
plied  him  with  the  necessities  of  life,  and  there  he  re 
mained  for  many  weeks  in  fear  and  trembling.  You 
know  me,  now,  John,  don't  you?" 

John  did  not  reply;  he  had  lapsed  into  a  cataleptic 
state,  and  his  anxious  listeners  were  doomed  to  wait  for 
further  evidence,  which  would  help  to  conclude  their 
test  case. 

Mr.  Niksab  walked  the  floor  and  wrung  his  hands: 
"He  is  dead  now,  I  am  sure,"  he  cried;  but  the  great 
author  of  "Memory  Fluid"  put  his  hand  upon  his 
shoulder  in  a  brotherly  fashion,  and  in  a  quiet,  reassur 
ing  voice  said: 

"Again  you  are  mistaken.  It  is  only  a  further  death 
of  the  millions  of  microbes  which  breed  disease  in  his 
body." 

"Ah,  I  forget,"  said  Mr.  Niksab. 

"You  are  not  freed  from  the  awful  gnawings  of  the 
creatures  yourself ;  but  it  is  not  to  forget  that  you  are 
here.  It  is,  on  the  other  hand,  to  remember,"  replied 
the  Governor. 

Marriet  Motuble  had  entered  the  room  unobserved  by 
all,  and  now  astonished  them  by  saying:  "You're 
right,  Governor;  you're  right.  It  is  memory  we  must 
cultivate  while  under  your  roof.  It's  a  good  thing  for 
John  that  he  has  sunk  into  his  present  state  of  semi- 
consciousness,  or  I  am  afraid  I  would  be  compelled 
to  make  him  acknowledge  his  great  sins  by  means  of 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  47 

physical  force,  which  is  a  shorter  route  to  punishment 
than  your  'Memory  Fluid.'  I  think  a  good  thumping 
would  do  John  good ;  or  a  bullet  through  his  head  might 
be  better." 

These  coarse  remarks  were  not  joined  in  by  anyone, 
but  she  was  in  nowise  abashed.  They  pitied  her  for 
her  coarse,  vulgar  mind.  They  knew  her  time  was  not 
far  distant,  however.  The  scientists  busied  themselves 
quietly  with  their  chemical  instruments,  now  and  then 
glancing  up  (out  of  courtesy)  at  some  remark  she  made, 
to  which,  however,  they  made  no  response. 

Mr.  Niksab  sat  in  a  corner  of  the  same  room,  his  head 
between  his  hands  in  deep  thought,  lost,  it  seemed,  to 
everything  around  him.  The  fair-haired,  aggressive 
senorita  walked,  or  rather  stalked  back  and  forth  in 
the  room,  her  thumbs  in  a  pocket  on  either  side  of  her 
short  coat. 

"I  remember,  too,  that  blear-eyed  reprobate,  the 
subject  yonder — that  was  the  name  by  which  the  medi 
cal  students  called  such  people  in  years  gone  by.  They 
called  them  that  in  the  year  of  1898-'99,  did  they  not, 
friend  Niksab?" 

Mr.  Niksab  started  from  his  reverie,  looked  at  the 
senorita  with  a  strange  look  in  his  eyes,  and  said:  "I 
believe  so,"  and  at  once  lapsed  into  another  silence. 

"You  are  correct,"  said  the  Governor.  "You  have 
been,  I  believe,  a  Subject  here  also.  I  am  not  mis 
taken,  am  I?  For  our  'Memory  Fluid'  we  can  claim 
another  victory,  then." 

Marriet  Motuble  stood  in  her  favorite  position,  a  smile 
of  amusement  on  her  face,  listening  to  the  Governor. 


48          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

She  openly  respected  and  secretly  admired  him.  All  the 
impulses  of  her  loving  heart,  which  were  many,  went 
out  to  the  great  man.  Hers  was  a  terrible  love,  and  woe 
to  the  man  who  aroused  her  love  and  failed  to  recipro 
cate  it.  She  did  not  take  her  eyes  from  his  handsome 
face, — her  eyes  which  spoke  volumes  of  love,  and  shone 
with  the  light  of  a  furious  passion. 

In  this  frame  of  mind  she  approached  him  closely, 
and  said:  "Your  Honor  is  mistaken.  I  have  never 
been  a  'subject'  in  your  illustrious  institution." 

"But,"  interrupted  the  Governor,  "you  remember." 

"Yes,  'tis  true ;  and  more,  perhaps,  than  many  would 
care  to  hear,"  she  replied. 

"Can  you  explain  how  this  great  memory  came  to  be 
a  part  of  you?  Aye,  it  is  possible  you  do  remember 
many  things  which  evil-doers  in  the  great  life  of  the 
past,  did  those  who  are  here  again  for  a  purpose  by  Di 
vine  arrangement  who  would  prefer  not  to  have  their 
past  brought  to  light.  But  the  just  management  of  all 
things  eternal  cannot  be  changed.  Physical  man  must 
be  the  adjuster  of  all  evil,  through  the  awakening  of 
his  soul.  It  matters  not  how  strongly  they  fight  against 
it,  it  is  the  inevitable.  And  it  is  a  struggle  often." 

"You  are  dead  right  there,  Governor,"  replied  Har 
riet  Hotuble,  "Our  friend  John  over  there  is  undergoing 
a  great  struggle  now,"  and  she  laughed  a  fiendish 
laugh,  as  she  continued  promenading  back  and  forth  in 
the  room.  "Poor  devil;  if  he  were  in  his  right  mind 
now,  he  no  doubt,  would  prefer  to  die  and  go  straight 
to  that  place  the  orthodox  ministers  said  existed,  many 
years  ago,  to  terrify  thtir  flocks  into  submission — 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  49 

possibly,  if  he  thought  he  would  be  allowed  to  stay  there 
forever,  rather  than  be  a  'Subject'  and  undergo  what  is 
now  taking  place." 

In  an  earnest  and  serious  tone  Guillermo  Gonzales 
said:  "Your  argument,  dear  senorita,  is  false.  A 
seeking  for  the  Eternal — after  the  things  not  compre 
hended  by  the  senses — cannot  be  brought  about  by  com 
pulsion;  no  physical  force  can  make  the  change.  It 
is  the  desire  for  a  knowledge  of  the  Eternal ;  for  a  com 
munion  with  spirits,  which  causes  the  change;  the 
death  of  disease ;  the  return  of  memory,  the  final  life." 

Harriet  Motuble,  on  hearing  this,  was  again  con 
vulsed  with  laughter;  but  finally  controlling  herself., 
said:  "That  is  all  very  fine,  and  sounds  well,  and 
might  apply  very  well  to  most  every  one,  but  to  John — 
ha !  ha ! — to  John — never !  The  only  way  to  cure  him, 
to  be  sure  of  him,  is  to  put  him  into  a  yawning  abyss 
of  that  Ebony  Fluid  you  extract  from  the  'Sun's  Kays,' 
and  which,  I  believe,  you  claim,  if  it  can  be  produced  in 
sufficient  quantities,  would  be  able  to  destroy  not  only  all 
things  physical,  but  those  very  things  which  are  thought 
now  by  everybody,  except  possibly  your  honored  selves, 
to  be  Eternal." 

The  three  wise  men  dropped  the  instruments  they 
were  casually  examining,  on  the  hard,  polished  floor, 
where  they  were  broken  into  a  thousand  pieces.  Her 
statement  confounded  them.  With  questioning  looks 
they  gazed  into  each  other's  faces,  and  then  at  the  im 
placable  senorita.  They  knew  that  besides  themselves 
no  one  on  earth  had  been  told  of  the  "Ebony  Fluid." 
In  fact,  they  had  discussed  the  probable  use  to  which 


50          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

it  could  be  put  in  hushed  tones,  in  the  sanctity  of  their 
most  private  study. 

Julio  Murillo  was  the  first  to  gain  control  of  himself, 
and  addressing  the  senorita,  said:  "If  we  were  living 
in  the  year  of  1898 — at  that  time  when  Hermannism 
was  in  vogue,  when  the  ignorant,  the  credulous  often 
employed  these  delvers  in  mechanical  spirits,  and  paid 
them  large  sums  to  look  into  the  future  and  disclose 
their  fate — I  say,  if  we  were  back  in  that  infant  age  of 
spiritualistic  progress — I  would  at  once  avow  that  you 
had  been  to  see  one  of  those  prophets." 

Marriet  Motuble  replied :  "You  forget,  friend  Julio, 
that  I,  as  well  as  yourself,  existed  years  ago.  Then  you 
were  not  so  distinguished  as  now.  We  lived  in  the  very 
year  about  which  you  have  just  spoken.  Women  were 
then  said  to  be  mysterious  beings,  as  well  as  the  beings 
who  could  fathom  all  secrets.  The  Great  One  to  whom 
you  pay  silent  tribute,  has  seen  fit  through  all  these 
years  to  perpetuate  the  gentler  (?)  sex,  and  with  much 
the  same  disposition  she  then  had.  But  really,  genffe- 
men,  it  is  unbecoming  in  me  to  be  telling  three  re 
nowned  scientists,  discoverers  of  'Memory  Fluid,'  about 
what  existed  at  a  previous  age,  or  how  I  came  into  pos 
session  of  a  knowledge  of  your  'Ebony  Fluid/  Besides, 
I  am  lingering  longer  than  my  time  admits.  Pour  some 
more  'Memory  Fluid'  down  John,  so  he  will  call  to 
mind  his  own  offspring  lying  in  a  semi-conscious  state 
in  the  adjoining  room." 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  your  words,  Miss  Motuble? 
Let  me  entreat  you  to  linger  a  few  moments  longer 
and  explain.  You  can  aid  us  materially  in  making  this 
affair  clear." 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  51 

Miss  Motuble's  eyes  shone  with  love,  and  with  out 
stretched  hands  she  started  toward  the  object  of  her 
affection,  and  in  a  low  voice,  yet  plainly  audible  to  all 
present,  said:  "Dearie!" 

Her  whole  nature  changed  outwardly  in  an  instant. 
She  whirled  her  large  frame  around  as  easily  as  if  it 
worked  on  pivots,  and  walking  to  the  door,  said: 
"There  are  other  days,  gentlemen,  other  days.  Patience 
is  a  necessary  requisite  to  success.  You  will  pardon  me 
if  I  leave  now.  Julio,  thy  mother's  seducer,  thy  father, 
is  heading  the  present  movement  against  the  State." 

"Impossible!"  they  exclaimed  in  one  breath.  "Ke- 
tribution  overtook  him  in  his  first  existence.  Impossi 
ble!" 

Again  she  gave  way  to  a  fit  of  laughter,  and  said: 
"Impossible,  hey?  nothing  is  impossible.  Don  Fran 
cisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir  has  evidently  not  been  recog 
nized  by  you.  Ha!  ha!  Well,  this  is  an  age  of  dis 
covery  !"  Stepping  up  to  Mr.  Mksab  (who  still  sat  on 
a  low  chair,  his  face  buried  in  his  hands,  seemingly  un 
conscious  to  everything  taking  place  around  him),  she 
slapped  him  soundly  on  the  shoulder,  a  custom  with 
men  of  bad  breeding,  in  the  nineteenth  century,  who 
were  very  friendly  with  each  other  and  demonstrated 
their  friendliness  by  this  coarse  greeting.  He  sprang 
to  his  feet  and  looked  in  a  bewildered  way  all  around 
him.  "Ha!  ha!  ha!  ha!  Friend  Niksab,  you  can 
have  your  hand  in  the  righting  of  a  few  other  wrongs, 
if  you  say  so." 

"I  am  aiding  the  great  scientists,"  he  interrupted, 
"by  helping  to  find  living  proofs  of  the  wrongs  com 
mitted  by  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas.' " 


52          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"The  poor  Plunger  is  getting  it  on  every  side;  get 
ting  thumped  by  this  scientific  hail,"  she  replied. 

"In  what  way,  Miss  Motuble,"  quietly  asked  the 
Governor,"  can  Mr.  Niksab  be  of  further  assistance  to 
our  scientific  investigations?" 

She  made  him  no  immediate  reply,  but  laughingly 
said  in  a  familiar  tone :  "Nicky,  the  fellow  who  mur 
dered  your  brother,  rifled  your  safe,  stole  all  those  cdn- 
taras  of  pulque,  and  mescal,  and  skins  of  tequila,  when 
you  'kept  bar'  at  the  Palacio,  is  here  now,  less  a  notch  or 
so  as  things  go  in  social  affairs  at  present.  You  re 
member  him,  don't  you,  Nicky?" 

"There  seems  to  be  coming  over  me  a  dim  remem 
brance  of  the  person  you  speak  of  and  the  circumstance 
you  relate;  but  I  am  not  clear." 

"Governor,  give  him  more  'Memory  Fluid/  and  he 
will  nail  the  villain  in  twenty-four  hours." 

"What  position  does  he  now  occupy?"  asked  Guil- 
lermo  Gonzales.  "I  am  anxious  to  know,  as  you  say  he 
is  a  notch  higher  in  the  social  scale  than  in  his  other 
life." 

"He  is  president  of  the  Maguey  Paper  Factory,  and 
is  as  dishonest  now,  in  a  polite  way,  as  he  was  in  that 
memorable  year,  in  an  uproarious  fashion.  He  is  not 
contented  with  the  immense  profit  he  derives  from  the 
sale  of  the  superior  paper  he  manufactures,  but  he  takes 
the  dry  maguey  leaves,  boils  them  for  days — until  they 
are  in  a  pulp — strains  it ;  ferments  the  liquid  and  sells 
it  for  a  kind  of  rum,  which  he  claims  will  cure  insanity, 
and  I,  for  one,  believe  him.  I  have  personally  known 
a  dozen  or  more  credulous  people — those  who  are 


The  Plunger  from  Kansas.  53 

always  taking  something  to  aid  digestion  or  strengthen 
the  mind — I  say,  I  believe  in  this  drink — because  they 
lived  only  a  few  days  after  taking  it  'according  to  direc 
tions.'  The  poor  demented  creatures  are  now  'cured' 
for  one  existence  at  least.  It  is  called  'Perpetuity 
Miel.'" 

"Ah,  let  me  think,"  said  the  Governor ;  "let  me  think. 
I — have  received  some  samples  of  this  rum,  with  a  re 
quest  to  partake  of  it  sparingly,  and  recommend  it  to 
the  public."  (He  opened  a  small  glass  cabinet  and 
took  out  a  large  bottle).  "Yes,  here  it  is:  'Per 
petuity  Miel.'  A  strange  name,  composed  of  a  Latin 
and  Anglo-Saxon  word,  meaning  a  sweet,  endless  dura 
tion."  i 

"Do  you,  Miguey,  recall  the  name  of  the  president  of 
the  'Maguey  Paper  Company'?" 

"I  do  not ;  I  do  not.  Strange,  I  do  not  know,  he  be 
ing  so  prominent  a  man  in  the  various  commercial 
fields,"  replied  the  Governor. 

Julio  Murillo  said:  "His  name  in  a  previous  exist 
ence  was  Henry  Lexort." 

Mr.  Niksab  cried,  as  he  clutched  his  fists  and  fought 
at  some  unseen  foes  in  the  air,  "The  same,  the  same; 
he  was  killed  at  the  Jockey  Club  for  cheating  in  rou 
lette.  He  had  returned  to  the  city,  in  disguise,  after 
successfully  evading  the  rurales — for  many  months. 
The  great  desire  again  to  see  the  scene  of  his  crime  led 
him  back  to  Chihuahua,  with  the  result  I  have  just  men 
tioned." 

"That  is  a  strange  truth,"  said  the  Governor,  "that 
criminals  more  often  than  otherwise  return  to  the  scene 


54          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

of  their  crimes.  More  than  one  has  walked  to  his  doom 
by  such  rash  actions." 

"That  is  why  I  have  such  perfect  confidence  that  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas,'  although  living  his  third  life 
since  the  date  of  his  life  in  which  he  committed  his 
famous  cattle  robbery,  will  return  to  the  scene  of  his 
operations  and  to  the  city  to  which  he  fled  to  escape  the 
clutches  of  the  law.  But  to  return  to  the  president  of 
the  Maguey  Paper  Factory.  It  is  quite  unusual  that 
the  name  of  so  prominent  a  man  in  our  midst  is  un 
known  to  five  peopla  of  intelligence  and  education." 

"I  will  ascertain  at  once,"  said  Julio.  "I  will  speak 
over  the  fluid  and  have  his  secretary  to  give  me  his 
full  name  and  address.  "We  may  need  it  for  future 
reference." 

"Do  not  give  yourself  so  much  useless  work,  friend 
Julio.  I  know  the  man's  genealogy  as  well  as  his  pres 
ent  name.  I  make  it  my  business  to  find  out  the  pedi 
gree  of  all  such  animals,  such  scorpions,  and  to-  air  their 
old  skeletons,  in  the  hope  of  helping  them  to  take  on  a 
new  life ;  to  hide  their  dry,  marrowless  bones  with  new 
flesh  and  blood." 

The  "Subject"  on  the  table  moved ;  then  sat  upright ; 
rubbed  his  eyes;  looked  beseechingly  towards  the  door 
and  cried  out:  "Harriet,  Harriet,  have  you  forgotten 
that  I  loved  you  in  that  time  long  ago?" 

The  four  other  occupants  of  the  room  turned  to  face 
the  woman  he  was  thus  beseeching,  and  behold,  she 
was  gone. 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          55 


CHAPTER  V. 

LIQUID    FROM    THE    SUN'S    RAYS. 

EARLY  the  next  morning  the  beautiful  and  progres 
sive  capital  of  Chihuahua  was  in  a  state  of  more  than 
usual  bustle. 

Some  time  previous  to  this  day  a  large  body  of 
her  representative  citizens,  amongst  whom  were  more 
than  a  thousand  progressive  women,  had  called  upon  the 
Governor  en  masse,  and  secured  his  consent  to  lecture 
upon,  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays." 

Chihuahua  is  a  magnificently  built  city  of  over  more 
than  one-half  a  million  inhabitants.  It  is  a  large  min 
ing  center,  railroad  center,  and  educational  center.  Re 
cently  its  fame  had  spread  abroad.  The  eyes  of  the  en 
tire  civilized  world  are  riveted  upon  it.  It  is  the  home 
and  abiding-place  of  the  greatest  scientists  the  world 
had  ever  known. 

Scientific  men  and  women  from  all  over  the  world 
came  every  day  to  see  the  city ;  the  country  which  pro 
duced  such  marvels  of  scientific  wonder  and  spiritualis 
tic  progress.  The  object  in  gathering  such  a  large  body 
together  to  call  upon  and  entreat  the  Governor  to  deliver 
an  address  upon  his  and  his  coworkers'  great  scientific 
discovery,  was  their  knowledge  of  his  great  timidity ;  of 
how  he  personally  disliked  to  appear  before  the  public 


56          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

and  recount  the  wonders  accomplished  by  their 
"Memory  Fluid." 

Through  his  book,  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays/' 
they  had  gained  their  first  and  only  knowledge  of  their 
brilliant  townsmen's  discovery.  Committees  of  from 
ten  to  one  hundred  had  at  various  times  since  reading 
the  Governor's  wonderful  book,  besought  him  to  deliver 
a  public  address  upon  the  subject,  for  their  benefit.  In 
variably  he  put  them  off  in  a  polite  way,  saying:  "At 
some  future  time."  Hoping,  of  course,  that  they  would 
weary  at  his  many  refusals,  and  cease  to  ask  for  a  per 
sonal  explanation;  that  they  would  be  satisfied  with 
reading  his  work. 

Such  was  not  the  case.  Persistence  on  the  part  of  his 
fellowcitizens  won. 

Now  the  early  morning  was  alive  with  the  persons 
constituting  the  various  committees  who  were  appointed 
to  make  the  large  theatre  an  Eden  of  loveliness  ^  a  place 
befitting  the  great  man  who  was  to  address  them  that 
night,  and  the  distinguished  guests.  The  President  of 
the  United  States,  accompanied  by  his  entire  family; 
ministers  from  foreign  countries  who  felt  themselves 
especially  favored  by  their  own  country  in  being  granted 
a  leave  of  absence  from  their  post  of  duty,  and  to  the 
committee  of  Chihuahuans  for  the  invitation,  arrived 
that  morning  on  a  special  train,  which  was  a  veritable 
drawing-room  on  wheels.  This  party  was  at  once  quar 
tered  at  the  "Mexican  Annex,"  a  magnificent  hostelry, 
containing  more  than  one  thousand  rooms.  "It  occu 
pies  two  blocks  of  ground;  it  faces  East  on  the  Ala- 
meda ;  it  is  five  stories  high,  and  built  from  the  ground 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          57 

to  the  roof,  of  a  greyish-white  marble/'  said  a  prominent 
member  of  the  reception  committee.  "The  magnificent 
pillars  in  the  rotunda  and  those  on  the  outside,  which 
support  the  five  stories  of  open-air  promenades  around 
the  hotel,  are  solid  onyx,  carved  in  the  most  wonderful 
designs.  This  famous  hostelry  is  the  private  property 
of  the  Governor,  and  is  known  throughout  the  States. 
It  is  lighted  and  heated  by  a  means  known  only  to  him 
self  and  his  two  scientific  coworkers.  In  each  room 
there  are  several  small  instruments,  curiously  designed, 
back  of  pictures  which  represent,  respectively,  the  face 
of  the  sun,  glaciers,  and  small  furnaces.  They  are  of 
much  interest  to  every  person  who  visits  the  magnificent 
hostelry,  yet  no  one  can  conceive  for  what  purpose  the 
curious  little  pictures  are  fastened  so  securely  in  the 
walls  and  ceiling.  By  certain  mechanical  action,  a 
liquid  extracted  from  the  rays  of  the  sun  unites  with 
other  Iquids  obtained  from  the  same  source,  which  is 
concealed  behind  each  picture,  respectively.  Then,  if 
light  is  desired,  a  miniature  lever  is  moved  which  causes 
the  liquid  concealed  back  of  the  picture  of  the  face 
of  the  sun  to  unite  with  another  fluid  with  the  result 
that  a  soft,  mellow  light  spreads  over  the  house,  which 
gradually  increases  in  power  until  a  light  of  the  bright 
ness  required  is  obtained.  On  the  same  principle,  if 
heat  is  required,  another  lever  is  moved  which  unites  a 
fluid  with  another  situated  back  of  the  small  furnace, 
and  gradually  the  air  rises,  balmy  and  fragrant  like  the 
air  on  a  summer  day  in  a  garden  of  fragrant  flowers 
after  a  light  shower.  The  small  pictures  of  glaciers 
represent  the  source  from  which  cold  is  generated,"  con- 


58          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

eluded  the  gallant  Chihuahuan.  More  detailed  in 
formation  as  to  the  lighting,  heating  and  cooling  of  the 
hostelry,  were  unknown  to  the  reception  committee  who 
were  showing  the  distinguished  visitors  the  many  places 
of  interest  in  their  famous  city. 

While  they  expressed  their  great  delight  with  the  en 
tire  city,  they  unanimously  voted  the  "Mexican  Annex" 
to  be  the  most  magnificent  and  beautiful  hotel  building 
they  had  ever  seen  at  home  or  abroad,  and  the  most  mag 
nificent  building  they  had  yet  beheld  in  Chihuahua. 

It  was  well  that  the  last  clause  was  added,  for  the 
committee  held  in  reserve  a  greater  surprise  for  them. 
Those  who  had  never  heard  of  their  auditorium,  their 
great  State  theatre  called  "The  Goddes","  could  scarcely 
have  imagined  in  their  advanced  day  even,  such  a  place 
to  have  existed;  a  place  of  such  great  dimensions;  of 
such  grandeur;  of  such  beauty. 

Chihuahua  is  honored  by  being  the  home  of  thou 
sands  of  beautiful  women,  who  are  likewise  known  for 
their  virtue  and  great  intellects.  These  women  indulge 
in  the  amusements, — the  popular  amusements  of  the 
day, — but  never  dissipate. 

Many  of  them  help  to  support  large  institutions  of 
learning  by  practicing  various  professions  for  that  pur 
pose,  and  they  do  not  think  they  are  doing  charity  either. 
They  contend  that  they  owe  their  efforts  to  the  further 
enlightenment  of  the  age,  that  their  own  soul  may  grow 
stronger.  There  are,  on  the  other  hand,  thousands  of 
women  in  the  city,  beautiful  women  who  have  many  of 
the  lighter  accomplishments,  who  indulge  in  the  most 
hilarious  forms  of  dissipation.  Many  of  them  likewise 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          59 

move  in  the  most  distinguished,  intellectual  circles. 
Yet  these  very  circles  are  kept  down ;  their  progress  re 
tarded  from  the  very  fact  of  the  presence  of  these 
women ;  women  who  have  never  felt  the  Divine  power. 

The  entertainments  given  by  these  women  teem  with 
brilliant  repartee  and  sparkling  wit.  Wit  made  spark 
ling,  by  the  use  of  high-class  wines. 

The  advent  of  so  many  distinguished  people  to  the 
capital  of  their  state  was  a  welcome  opportunity  for 
them.  All  the  morning  they  had  paraded  themselves 
back  and  forth  through  the  route  taken  by  the  reception 
committee  to  best  show  off  the  city  to  their  guests. 

Most  of  them  were  becomingly  attired  in  fashionable 
gowns  for  morning  outdoor  wear.  They  sped  along 
noiselessly  over  the  smooth  streets  in  their  chariot-like 
carriages,  that  swayed  back  and  forth  in  a  most  deli 
cious  fashion. 

Their  vehicles  were  put  into  motion  by  means  of 
the  simple  effort  of  pressing  the  thumb  against  a  small 
button  set  in  the  center  of  the  dash-board;  and  they 
were  turned  in  any  direction  by  means  of  a  small  lever, 
which  required  the  slightest  effort  imaginable  to  handle. 

These  women  succeeded  in  attracting  the  attention  of 
the  President  and  his  party, — just  what  they  were  out 
for,  and  were  often  close  enough  to  hear  the  bursts  of 
admiration  which  unconsciously  fell  from  the  lips  of 
some  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  who  were  very 
susceptible  to  the  charms  of  feminine  beauty. 

They  returned  to  their  homes  in  ecstasy,  to  refresh 
their  beauty  by  an  afternoon  siesta  and  bath ;  ready  to 
array  themselves  in  their  most  gorgeous  attire,  in  the 


60          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

hope  of  meeting  the  distinguished  visitors  at  the  banquet 
to  be  held  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  Governor's 
lecture;  to  make  further  conquests,  to  gather  fresh 
laurels. 

No  one  in  the  city  was  as  little  concerned  over  the 
event  about  to  transpire  as  the  Governor.  Getting 
his  own  consent  to  appear  before  his  people  in  the  guise 
of  a  scientist,  of  a  wonderful  discoverer,  was  the  strug 
gle.  It  being  over  he  looked  upon  the  prospective  lec 
ture  seemingly  with  no  more  concern  than  if  he  were 
about  to  make  a  Fourth  of  July  speech.  Yet  such  was 
not  quite  the  case.  He  was  greatly  conerned  about  the 
result  of  his  evening  speech.  Events  had  come  in  quick 
succession,  since  his  arrival  home ;  important  ones,  that 
dwelt  directly  upon  the  great  chain  of  evidence  he  and 
his  coworkers  were  intent  upon  bringing  to  a  close,  and 
he  was  now  on  the  alert.  He  knew  not  at  what  moment 
to  expect  the  climax.  Strict  orders  were  given  the 
attendants  at  his  home,  that  he  was  not  to  be  molested 
at  any  hour  during  the  day.  That  the  day  must  be  his 
own  for  thought. 

The  day  before,  he  had  caused  the  child  Catalina 
Martinet,  the  child  who  swooned  in  the  study  of  the 
scientist,  to  be  removed  to  his  own  home,  where  she  was 
placed  in  charge  of  his  housekeeper.  He  kept  up  the 
most  magnificent  private  home  in  the  city.  Many  were 
the  mothers  who  sighed  as  they  drove  by,  for  some  power 
to  entrap  him  for  their  daughters.  They  thought  it  a 
sin  for  so  beautiful  a  home  to  remain  without  a  mis 
tress.  The  Governor  was  not  disturbed  by  any  of  the 
sighs  or  enticing  looks.  He  pursued  his  scientific  in- 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          61 

vestigations  and  at  the  same  time  he  felt  that  through 
them  there  would  come  to  him  a  love  that  would  make 
his  life,  his  soul,  his  spirit,  a  paradise  on  earth. 

Catalina  Martinet  seemed  to  have  no  remembrance  of 
the  strange  occurrence  of  yesterday.  When  she  awoke 
from  the  peaceful  sleep  into  which  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales  and  Julio  Murillo  had  succeeded  in  getting  her,  she 
was  bright  and  gay.  Instead  of  the  careworn  child  of 
yesterday  out  seeking  her  living,  she  looked  and  acted 
like  the  happy  child  of  wealthy  and  indulgent  parents. 
She  clung  to  the  Governor,  embraced  him  fondly,  and 
called  him  "Papa/'  All  day  long  he  had  been  commun 
ing  with  self  and  silently  watching  the  child,  whose 
every  movement  was  a  source  of  great  wonder  and  de 
light  to  him. 

Dressed  in  a  becoming  gown  of  very  fine  texture,  she 
alone  accompanied  the  great  man  to  the  theatre. 

The  large  auditorium  of  the  theatre  was  full,  every 
seat  occupied,  and  most  all  available  standing  room  was 
rilled  with  the  small,  but  strong  spring  seats  that  came 
up  from  the  floor  by  a  touch,  when  required  to  help  seat 
the  great  crowds  that  thronged  to  the  auditorium  when 
ever  the  Governor  was  billed  to  address  his  people. 

Applause  after  applause  went  up  from  the  large 
audience  when  the  person  for  whom  they  waited  in 
breathless  silence  appeared  upon  the  stage. 

Exclamations  of  surprise  and  admiration  were  heard 
on  every  side  when  the  people  saw  the  pretty  child. 
She  sat  facing  them  with  the  complacency  of  a  queen, 
throughout  the  entire  lecture. 

In  the  large  private  boxes  sat  the  President  of  the 


62          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

United  States  and  the  representatives  from  foreign 
countries  which  came  with  him. 

It  was  an  event  of  great  annoyance  to  the  Governor 
to  find,  in  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  seats  of  the 
private  box  where  the  President  and  family  sat,  Harriet 
Motuble. 

On  his  way  to  the  theatre  he  had  called  for  a  few 
moments  at  the  Mexican  Annex,  to  pay  his  respects  to 
the  Chief  Executive  and  the  distinguished  represents 
tives  of  foreign  countries  present. 

Now  he  only  bowed  to  them,  and  wondered  how  the 
aggressive  senorita  made  the  acquaintance  with  the 
party;  by  whose  invitation  she  had  a  seat  in  the  box. 

He  felt  his  mind  wandering  and  it  was  with  much 
effort  he  was  able  to  concentrate  his  thoughts  upon  the 
subject  of  his  lecture.  His  discourse  led  up  in  a  modest 
way  to  "Memory  Fluid,"  by  mentioning  the  many  dis 
coveries  they  had  made  before  they  began  to  experiment 
to  find  a  fluid,  directly  from  the  source  of  light  which 
would  perpetuate  Memory  through  all  time.  That 
while  working  with  the  instrument  which  condensed  the 
moisture  from  the  sun's  rays  to  a  liquid,  they  discovered 
it  had  a  very  strange  effect  upon  whichever  one  of  the 
three  workers  who  always  conducted  the  experiments, 
when  the  fluid  had  reached  a  certain  stage.  A  generous 
sample  of  the  fluid  at  that  peculiar  stage  was  put  away 
for  future  experiments.  In  the  meantime  they  per 
fected  their  "Heat  and  Light"  fluid  and  put  it  into  prac 
tical  use. 

At  this  point  in  the  history  of  their  discoveries, 
Guillermo  Gonzales  stepped  upon  the  stage.  He  was 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          63 

received  with  a  storm  of  applause.  He  returned  the 
greeting  with  a  smile  and  low  bow.  The  Governor  con 
tinued:  "My  able  coworker  will  show  you  one  of  the 
uses  to  which  we  have  put  this  fluid  in  our  own  city." 

Then  while  Guillermo  Gonzales  turned  the  light  off 
and  on,  and  made  the  room  very  hot,  then  cool,  the 
Governor  pointed  to  the  large  picture  of  the  face  of  the 
sun  in  the  center  of  the  ceiling  and  told  them  that  it 
was  the  source  of  the  artificial  light  which  they  saw  in 
the  room,  and  the  heat  they  felt. 

"Back  of  the  face,"  he  explained,  "is  a  small  glass 
bulb  which  holds  two  ounces  of  liquid,  which,  to  make 
very  clear  to  you,  I  will  call  the  Principal  liquid.  This 
fluid  is  used  in  the  production  of  heat,  light  and  cold. 
Extending  from  the  bulb  are  ten  thousand  small 
glass  tubes,  through  some  of  which  this  liquid  flows  to 
the  center  of  each  miniature  picture  of  the  face  of  the 
sun  on  the  ceiling  and  wall,  through  others  to  the  cen 
ter  of  the  miniature  furnaces  placed  in  the  four  walls 
of  the  room  two  feet  from  the  floor,  and  still  through 
others  to  the  small  glaciers  which  so  beautifully  adorn 
the  walls  twenty-four  inches  from  the  ceiling.  In  the 
center  of  each  small  representation  of  the  face  of  the 
sun  is  a  hollow  glass  button  filled  with  another  form  of 
liquid  obtained  from  the  sun's  rays,  which  we  call  'Light 
Fluid/  When  light  is  required  in  a  certain  part  or  in 
the  entire  part  in  any  room  or  hall  in  this  building,  a 
small  lever  is  moved  by  pressing  a  button,  conveniently 
situated  for  that  purpose,  which  brings  in  contact  the 
principal  liquid  and  the  'Light'  liquid,  with  the  result 
you  now  see;  the  soft,  mellow  light  spreading  over  the 


64          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

room,  increasing  in  intensity  until  the  amount  of  light 
required  is  had. 

"Heat  is  likewise  produced  by  causing  the  principal 
fluid  to  unite  with  a  liquid  confined  in  the  miniature 
furnace,  which  we  term  'Heat  Fluid/  " 

Guillermo  Gonzales  touched  a  button,  and  the  room 
gradually  became  very  warm;  so  warm,  in  fact,  that 
the  audience  was  uncomfortable;  murmurs  of  com 
plaints  were  heard  on  every  side.  All  the  dainty  fans 
carried  by  the  ladies  for  effect  only,  were  immediately 
put  into  use. 

The  Governor  fanned  himself  vigorously  and  wiped 
perspiration  from  his  brow. 

"The  efficiency  of  'Heat  Fluid'  is  well  demonstrated, 
my  friend,"  said  the  Governor,  addressing  the  scientist. 
"Make  us  cool;  this  heat  is  overpowering." 

The  intense  heat  gradually  gave  way  to  the  cool 
breeze,  which  the  Governor  explained,  "was  caused  by 
the  uniting  of  the  principal  fluid  with  the  fluid  called 
'Cold  Fluid/  concealed  within  the  small  glaciers." 

Every  one  in  the  room  turned  his  face  toward  the 
ceiling  to  see  the  representation  of  glaciers,  and  was 
greatly  surprised  to  feel  the  cold  air  falling  on  his  face 
as  the  heat  ascended. 

Cheer  after  cheer  went  up  from  the  much  pleased 
assembly.  Their  delight  knew  no  bounds.  It  was  the 
first  knowledge  they  had  of  the  means  by  which  this 
magnificent  auditorium  was  lighted,  heated  and  made 
cool. 

"The  strange  influence  the  liquid  had  at  the  certain 
stage  before  mentioned,"  continued  the  Governor,  "upon 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          65 

us  working  to  bring  about  desired  results  with  it  in 
other  conditions,  gave  rise  to  serious  study  of  self  while 
under  its  influence,  and  further  experiments  in  making 
the  same  fluid  stronger.  On  inhaling  some  of  the 
stronger  fluid  we  lapsed  into  a  cataleptic  state,  and  on 
our  return  to  consciousness  each  astonished  the  other  by 
relating  wonderful  and  strange  experiences.  And 
strange  to  say,  each  of  us  had  received  the  same  remem 
brances  of  strange  experiences  which  happened  right  in 
this  city  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago.  When  we 
knew  from  our  own  personal  knowledge  that  the  liquid 
was  perfectly  harmless  and  capable  of  bringing  about 
such  wonderful  results,  we  were  determined  to  experi 
ment  upon  others,  and,  if  possible,  find  out  if  others  had 
lived  at  the  same  time.  And  if  the  fluid  caused  those 
upon  whom  it  was  tested  to  recall  one  certain  incident 
which  we  remembered  to  have  occurred  in  the  year  1898. 
in  this  city.  This  new  fluid  or  liquid  we  call  'Memory 
Fluid,'  and  upon  others  it  likewise  worked  marvels. 
They  too  recalled  at  once  the  same  incident  which  we 
had  recorded  in  our  register.  And  now  our  great  test 
case  is  about  to  be  closed.  The  'Plunger  from  Kansas' 
has  positively  been  located.  All  the  evidence  of  many 
persons  now  living  who  knew  him  in  this  town  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago,  is  about  collected.  He  re 
members  himself.  Eetribution  is  overtaking  him. 
See !  this  is  his  picture.  Through  a  similar  process  to 
the  one  used  in  making  this  auditorium  light,  another 
has  been  used  in  producing  from  memory's  picture-gal 
lery  of  the  past,  the  picture  you  see  of  'The  Plunger 
from  Kansas/  now  before  you/' 


66          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

For  an  instant  a  hushed  silence  fell  upon  the  large 
audience.  Then  as  if  by  unanimous  vote  they  at  once 
cried  out  in  the  most  tumultuous  cheers. 

The  cries  of:  "Down  with  him,  I  remember  him; 
he  robbed  my  father  in  another  life."  "Punish  him." 
"Catch  him."  "Hang  him."  "Put  him  in  prison." 
"Make  him  repent."  "See  that  his  just  due  is  meted 
out  to  him."  "Yes,  for  he  escaped  in  the  other  life," 
rang  out. 

One  of  the  orthodox  ministers — Eev.  J.  T.  Note — 
there  are  still  a  few  who  hang  on  to  their  creeds  with 
the  same  tenacity  that  Don  Francisco  K.  Cantu  y  Fal- 
omir  and  his  few  followers  do  to  the  ancient  customs 
and  religion  of  their  long-lost  and  beloved  Eepublic  of 
Mexico ;  arose  and  cried :  "The  wrath  of  God  be  upon 
such  unholy  teachings.  Oh,  God,  spare  our  great 
nation,  about  to  be  plunged  into  an  abyss  of  darkness 
and  despair." 

When  Father  Hernandez,  the  best  known  priest  in  the 
city,  cried:  "Jesus  and  Mary  protect  us  from  evil," 
Marriet  Motuble  arose  from  her  conspicuous  position  in 
the  box  she  occupied  with  the  President,  and  cried: 
"Carry  that  scorpion,  the  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  out.  I  know 
him  of  old.  He  tried  to  convert  the  'Plunger5  to  his 
faith,  to  get  some  of  his  ill-gotten  gains,  no  doubt.  He 
was  a  missionary  then,  practicing  his  arts  of  conversion 
in  Chihuahua.  It  is  upon  him  the  wrath  of  the  go'ds 
should  fall.  And  that  priest,  Father  Hernandez,"  she 
continued,  as  her  body  swayed  back  and  forth,  convulsed 
with  laughter.  "That  priest,  that  priest,  he  was  a 
voluptuous  lout.  Oh,  the  hangers-on  he  had.  Clangity 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.          67 

clang,  clang,  clang,  every  fifteen  minutes  went  the  bells 
in  the  towers  of  his  ancient  church,  to  call  the  peons  to 
prayer — to  get  their  centavos.  Oh,  you  viper,  you 
scorpion,  get  out  of  here !" 

"Hush!" — came  out  the  clear,  distinct  voice  of  the 
Governor. 

Harriet  Motuble  sank  quietly  into  her  seat,  at  the 
sound  of  his  voice. 

Julio  Murillo  stepped  on  the  stage,  and  in  a  quiet, 
reassuring  voice  said:  "Eternal  Truth,  the  Sublime 
Law  of  Eight,  will  be  asserted.  The  voice  of  my 
mother,  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles,  of  Colima,  cries  out 
for  a  resurrection.  Through  her  desire  for  a  new  life, 
for  a  knowledge  of  truth,  yonder  priest,  whom  I  pity 
from  the  bottom  of  my  soul,  will  see  the  folly  of  his 
ways,  and  will  desire  also  to  live  the  life  of  spiritual 
purity." 

A  pitiful  cry,  "Oh,  Joseph,  oh,  Mary,  spare  me,  spare 
me !"  rang  out,  as  the  priest  fell  forward. 

He  was  carried  out  admidst  the  cries:  "Impostor," 
"Give  him  'Memory  Fluid/  "  on  one  side,  and  "Our  kind 
priest  is  persecuted,"  on  another.  "Spare  him,  ye 
blessed  Virgin  Mary!" 

"Jesus  y  Maria,  Jesus  y  Maria!"  cried  Don  Fran 
cisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir.  "This  is.  the  beginning  of 
the  war  about  to  be  waged.  The  sanctified  Catholic 
Church  will  win.  These  blasphemous  scientific  impos 
tors  will  meet  their  just  reward.  I  knew  it  would  come 
through  the  means  of  the  fake  'Memory  Fluid.'  It  is 
necessary  for  a  vast  amount  of  evil  to  be  thrust  upon 
man  at  one  moment  before  he  is  brought  to  his  senses; 
before  a  much  needed  revolution  takes  place." 


68          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

The  keynote  to  his  thoughts  was  struck  when  he  saidl 
the  word  "revolution,"  as  it  acted  like  wild-fire  upon  the 
wrought-up  assembly. 

Progressive  women  and  men  arose,  and  their  cries  of : 
"Down  with  the  revolutionists!  Down  with  the 
progeny  who  opposed  the  noble  Diaz !" 

"Drag  the  scorpion  out  and  cut  his  wind  off,"  cried 
Harriet  Motuble. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  arose,  and  with 
hands  outstretched  toward  the  Governor,  sent  forth  a 
silent  appeal.  This  was  the  first  exhibition  of  fear 
noticed  during  the  entire  commotion. 

The  Governor  understood  the  mute  appeal  of  the  head 
of  the  nation,  arose,  and  with  a  proud  toss  of  his 
handsome  head,  spoke  in  a  clear,  high  voice :  "Captain, 
let  the  soldiers  enter,  and  take  the  disturbers  of  peace 
away !" 

No  one  up  to  this  time  had  noticed  that  the  doorways 
and  vestibules  leading  into  the  auditorium  were 
thronged  with  the  city  police  force  and  the  state  mili 
tia.  The  wise  Governor  had,  through  the  assistance  of 
his  able  coworkers,  Guillermo  Gonzales  and  Julio 
Hurillo,  arranged  thus  for  the  protection  of  those 
present  at  the  first  outbreak  of  the  evening. 

The  Captain  whom  he  addressed  had  been  in  the  audi  • 
ence,  within  close  distance  of  the  Governor,  for  some 
time,  and  only  waited  for  the  sign  from  him  to  quell 
the  disturbers. 

At  the  same  moment  the  auditorium  was  filled  with 
officers  of  law,  the  boxes  occupied  by  the  President  and 
family  and  other  visitors  were  completely  surrounded 
with  soldiers  armed  to  the  teeth. 


Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays.         69 

Friends  of  the  priest,  Father  Hernandez,  had  carried 
him  out  the  moment  he  fell  in  a  faint;  others,  in  sym 
pathy  with  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  ushered 
him  out  quickly,  so  the  police  restored  quiet  by  their 
presence. 

Some  nervous  sensationalist  was  so  bold  as  to  cry  out : 
"God  save  the  President !  This  occasion  is  for  the  pur  • 
pose  of  getting  him  here  to  murder  him.  It  is  the  old 
story  repeated.  Abraham  Lincoln  was  shot  by  a 
traitor  while  in  a  theatre  two  hundred  and  fifty  years 
ago.  We  must  protect  our  President  with  our  lives." 

The  person  who  gave  vent  to  this  cry  was  at  once 
put  under  arrest,  and  taken  by  force  out  of  the  theatre. 

Quiet  was  once  more  restored  and  by  a  few  words 
i?rom  the  Governor,  the  people  were  assured  of  protec 
tion  and  that  the  banquet  would  take  place. 


70          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 
CHAPTER  VI. 

MRS.  GRANGE  AND  THE  PRESIDENT. 

IT  was  the  powerful  influence  of  the  minds  of  the 
Governor  and  his  able  coworkers  upon  the  people 
which  produced  quiet. 

Even  the  aggressive  Senorita  Harriet  Motuble  leaned 
back  in  her  chair  with  a  dreamy  faraway  look  on  her 
face. 

The  Governor  had  spoken  longer  than  he  intended, 
and  on  looking  at  the  timepiece,  which  occupied  a  con« 
spicuous  place  in  the  room,  he  was  greatly  surprised  to 
find  the  hour  of  midnight. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  dismissed  the 
assembly  with  a  few  complimentary  and  brilliant  re 
marks,  but  strictly  avoided  making  any  allusion  to  the 
affair  just  ended,  or  rather,  I  would  better  say,  which 
had  just  been  quieted;  for  the  scene  had  not  ended, 
it  was  only  the  beginning  of  a  fearful  struggle,  which 
would  not  end  in  a  day,  a  week,  a  month,  a  year. 

The  committee  having  the  arrangements  for  the  ban 
quet  in  hand,  passed  into  the  hall,  some  leading  the  way 
escorting  the  guests  who  came  in  first  with  invitations, 
others  with  those  who  came  in  last. 

Everybody  felt  greatly  impressed  with  some  impend 
ing  trouble,  yet  each  endeavored  to  hide  his  anxiety 
behind  a  smile. 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        71 

The  subjects  upon  whom  the  scientists  had  been  ex 
perimenting  and  from  whom  such  great  results  had 
been  obtained,  were  special  objects  of  interest  at  the  ban 
quet.  J.  Ecarg  looked  greatly  embarrassed;  most  of 
the  evening,  however,  at  times  he  seemed  to  lapse  into  a 
semi-conscious  state.  He  only  appeared  to  be  at  ease 
and  contented  when  talking  to  Harriet  Motuble. 

Several  times  during  the  evening  he  was  heard  to 
laugh  out  merrily  at  some  jest  made  by  her. 

Mr.  Niksab  was  often  the  center  of  a  large  crowd, 
whom  he  entertained  with  stories  of  the  effect  of 
"Memory  Fluid"  upon  himself  and  others. 

Occasionally  he  stole  a  glance  from  his  eager  listen 
ers  in  the  direction  of  Harriet  Motuble  and  his  friend 
John  Ecarg.  He  felt  a  deep  interest  in  him,  and  in  a 
measure  responsible  for  the  result  of  his  present  con 
dition,  of  his  awakening. 

There  were  so  many  people  present  that  it  was  im 
possible  for  each  to  meet  the  other  during  the  evening. 
All  the  most  prominent  citizens  were  presented  to  the 
President  and  other  invited  guests  from  abroad.  The 
Governor  tried  to  have  a  few  pleasant  words  with  all 
visitors  and  newcomers  to  the  city. 

Toasts  were  proposed  in  which  response  was  made  in 
the  most  brilliant  and  appropriate  manner. 

The  toast,  "Our  Beautiful  Women/'  was  proposed  by 
a  gallant  visitor,  and  the  Governor  was  called  upon  to 
reply. 

With  his  usual  gallantry  he  responded.  Crowds  of 
beautiful  women,  many  of  whom  belonged  to  the  fast 
set  before  mentioned,  drew  near. 


72          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

One  in  particular  made  herself  conspicuous  by  get 
ting  very  near  the  President  and  clapping  her  hands  at 
everything  the  Governor  said — words  complimentary  to 
women. 

She  was  the  wife  of  a  Scotchman  who,  having  failed 
as  an  opera  singer,  was  obliged  to  try  his  hand  in  other 
lines, — railroading  and  commercial  fields.  Having 
secured,  at  a  small  salary,  a  place  in  a  railroad  office, 
with  the  high  title  of  "Assistant  Freight  Agent,"  he 
was  forced  to  depend  upon  his  form,  his  pretty  fac-3 
and  his  voice,  (which  by  way  of  apology,  he  always  ex 
plained,  he  hoped  to  recover),  as  well  as  his  wife's  win 
ning  ways,  and  her  ability  to  "act"  in  amateur  dramatic 
performances,  for  their  social  position. 

Mrs.  Grange  made  the  most  of  her  winning  ways. 
She  flirted,  and  smiled,  and  danced  and  drank  wine 
with  every  man  of  position  and  wealth,  who  paid  her 
the  slightest  attention,  and  hinted  only  at  such  favors. 

In  the  little  game  she  played  she  very  often  came  out 
winner;  that  is,  winner  in  a  way.  She  received  for 
herself  and  husband  an  invitation  for  the  next  swell 
function,  and  often  the  present  of  a  new  gown  for  the 
occasion  from  her  latest  conquest,  who  also  assured  her 
that  he  would  use  his  personal  influence  with  the  presi 
dent  of  the  railroad  where  her  husband  was  employed, 
to  have  him  retained  in  his  position.  Quite  frequently 
these  admirers  of  hers  hinted  that  through  their  influ 
ence  there  was  likely  to  be  a  raise  in  his  salary.  Tho 
raise,  however,  never  came,  yet  the  promise  of  it  did 
them  good;  it  was  something  to  which  they  could  look 
forward. 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        73 

It  was  probably  the  hope  of  securing  such  a  promise, 
by  the  aid  of  some  of  the  famous  men  present,  that 
Mrs.  Grange  disported  herself  so  bewitchingly  before 
them. 

To  herself  her  charms  as  reflected  from  her  mirror, 
seemed  irresistible,  and  it  was  a  source  of  constant  won 
der  to  her  why  any  man  failed  to  become  her  victim. 

In  her  case  the  formality  of  an  introduction  was  never 
necessary.  Yet  she  realized  the  prestige  a  formal  in 
troduction  gave  her,  and  by  intriguing  with  those  who 
did  not  know  her  arts,  she  very  often  was  presented  to 
people  of  influence  by  their  own  friends.  She  affected 
a  retiring  manner,  and  made  her  blushes  to  order. 

Those  to  whom  she  was  first  introduced  thought  her 
a  combination  of  beauty,  modesty  and  purity,  and  her 
entertaining  powers  superior  to  anyone  whom  they 
had  seen.  Her  great  bashfulness  enhanced  her  abil 
ity  to  entertain,  they  thought.  The  President  of  tha 
United  States  certainly  seemed  to  think  so,  from  the 
way  his  face  shone  with  pleasure  as  he  gazed  into  her 
half  upturned  face,  full  of  blushes  that  came  and  went 
as  she  talked. 

The  Governor  had  just  concluded  his  response  to  the 
toast,  "Beautiful  Women/'  which  was  eliciting  a  storm 
of  applause.  Guests  were  collected  in  twos  and  threes, 
discussing  the  brilliancy  of  his  remarks. 

Some  of  the  gentlemen  were  discussing  which  one  of 
the  many  beautiful  women  present  would  be  thought  the 
most  beautiful,  by  the  greatest  number  of  persons  at 
the  banquet,  if  a  vote  were  taken. 

The  President  wished  the  woman  into  whose  face  he 


74          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

gazed  with  evident  admiration  might  be  chosen  as  the 
queen  of  beauty,  and  in  a  voice  only  meant  for  her  ears 
told  her  so. 

But  Harriet  Motuble  stood  close  by  and  had  been 
an  eye-witness  to  the  little,  quiet  game  of  flirtation, 
which  they  did  not  dream  had  attracted  the  attention  of 
anyone. 

She  also  heard  the  pretty  compliments  paid  Mrs. 
Grange  by  the  President,  and  at  the  time  most  inoppor 
tune  for  them,  she  stepped  closer  to  them,  and  in  a  tone 
which  carried  much  satire,  said :  "A  pretty  compliment 
indeed,  Mrs.  Grange;  but  pardon  me,  please,  it  was  not 
meant  for  my  ears." 

The  President  was  evidently  annoyed,  although  he 
tried  hard  to  hide  his  real  feeling,  and  said :  "We,  too, 
Miss  Motuble,  were  discussing  the  Governor's  able 
speech.  He  paid  beautiful  tributes  of  appreciation  to 
the  many  charming  women  present." 

"Your  Honor,  that  is  quite  true;  he  is  a  great 
Chesterfield.  He  knows  how  to  be  gracious  to  the 
ladies,  homely  ones  as  well  as  beautiful,  timid  ones," 
said  Mrs.  Grange,  as  she  turned  her  face  full  of  earnest 
pleading  up  to  his. 

The  President  did  not  reply  in  words,  but  the  look 
he  gave  her,  as  he  bent  his  head  until  it  nearly  touched 
hers,  was  proof  enough  to  Marriet  Motuble  that  he  was 
afraid  to  trust  his  voice.  His  chest  heaved  with  tender 
emotions  inspired  by  Mrs.  Grange,  and  one  word  would 
betray  his  real  feeling. 

On  neither  of  those  two  did  the  stirring  events  just 
passed,  seem  to  have  left  any  impression. 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        75 

Harriet  Motuble  well  knew  the  mental  calibre  of  the 
woman,  and  was  not  in  the  least  astonished  to  find  Mrs. 
Grange  in  the  affected  state  she  always  assumed  when 
with  men. 

"But  the  President !  the  President !"  exclaimed  Har 
riet  Hotuble,  mentally.  "I  cannot  understand  how  the 
leader  of  our  great  nation  can  carry  on  a  sentimental 
conversation  with  a  brainless  beauty  (?)  when  the  great 
city  of  Chihuahua  is  in  such  a  state  of  excitement. 
There  is  no  telling  where  the  events  just  transpired  will 
end.  I  for  one  am  sorry  this  terrible  calm  is  taking 
place.  It  seems  to  me  a  time  of  preparation  for  a 
greater  shock.  He  is  a  great  actor  if  he  is  mentally 
disturbed  and  can  so  completely  disguise  his  true  feel 
ings.  I  will  test  him." — "Say,  President,"  she  cried,  as 
she  whirled  her  huge  frame  in  front  of  the  two,  and  in 
terrupted  the  low  conversation,  "Governor  Lehumada  is 
a  fine  actor,  is  he  not  ?" 

"In  what  way,  pray,  Hiss  Hotuble?" 

"In  the  disguise  of  his  real  feelings." 

"He  is  a  heroic  actor,"  said  Hrs.  Grange. 

"He  is,  indeed,"  curtly  replied  Hiss  Hotuble,  address 
ing  herself  to  Hrs.  Grange ;  then  in  a  complete  change 
of  voice,  said,  speaking  to  the  President,  with  her 
back  half  turned  to  Hrs.  Grange,  "I  mean,  your  Honor, 
that  the  noble  man  yonder  is  in  a  high  fever  of  excite 
ment  caused  by  the  disturbance  in  the  auditorium — for 
he  realizes  that  it  was  just  the  beginning  of  a  long  con 
flict,  the  end  of  which  cannot  be  seen  by  mortal  eyes. 
Yet  the  noble  man  is  able  to  conceal  his  feeling  out  of 
his  great  love  for  his  people,  and  his  desire  to  have  the 
banquet  end  successfully." 


76          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"You  know  your  people  here  better  than  I,  Miss 
Motuble,  this  being  your  home ;  and  pray,  do  you  antici 
pate  any  further  trouble?" 

"I  know  the  city  but  little  better  than  yourself,  your 
Honor,  except  possibly  in  the  way  of  remembrance/' 

Mrs.  Grange,  arousing  herself  from  her  passive  state, 
said  in  a  voice  loud  and  cutting:  "A  subject  of  that 
fluid  also !" 

Ignoring  her  altogether,  Marriet  Motuble  continued: 

"With  your  Honor's  permission,  I  do  remember  many 
persons  present  as  having  lived  in  lives  gone  by.  Some 
here  to-night  lived  in  this  city  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ago." 

"May  I  ask  whom?" 

"Most  truly." 

"Not  I,  I  hope,"  again  ventured  Mrs.  Grange. 

"The  child,"  continued  Marriet  Motuble,  'lived 
then." 

"What  child?"  inquired  the  President. 

"Ah,  'tis  true,  you  do  not  know.  What  a  pity !  The 
beautiful  little  girl  who  sat  by  the  Governor  during  his 
lecture.  Catalina  Martinet.  Dear  child!" 

"Can  it  be  possible !"  exclaimed  the  President. 

"Quite  true,  your  Honor.  She  remembers.  She 
died  at  the  age  of  eighteen  of  a  broken  heart." 

"How  sad,"  remarked  Mrs.  Grange,  persisting  in  try 
ing  to  join  in  the  conversation. 

"Was  her  death  the  result  of  a  disappointed  love?" 
asked  the  President. 

"On  the  other  hand,"  replied  Miss  Motuble,  "quite 
the  contrary.  Her  heart,  poor  child,  was  broken  when 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        77 

she  learned  of  the  cloud  under  which  she  was  born — that 
she  was  an  outcast — a  waif.  She  died  in  my  arms." 

"Impossible,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Grange. 

"Not  at  all,"  quietly  replied  the  President.  "One  is 
as  likely  as  the  other,  while  neither  is  impossible" 

Marriet  Motuble  continued  as  though  there  had  been 
no  interruption :  "She  died  in  my  arms.  I  buried  her 
at  my  own  expense  in  a  tomb  befitting  a  queen.  And 
truly  she  was  a  queen.  The  deed  to  the  ground  I  built 
her  tomb  on  I  have  in  my  safe  amongst  my  legal 
documents.  Every  word  is  legible.  I  could  not  bear  to 
think  that  her  precious  body,  possibly  before  the  flesh 
had  decomposed,  would  be  thrown  out  of  the  grave  to 
make  way  for  a  new  corpse,  as  was  the  cruel  custom  in 
Mexico  then.  Her  tomb  is  in  a  state  of  perfect  pres 
ervation  yet.  I  hope  soon  to  finish  this  cycle  and  have 
made  arrangements  to  have  the  destructible  part  of  me, 
or  that  part  of  me  recognized  by  those  not  initiated, 
laid  away  there." 

"How  interesting.  Quite  uncanny,  though !"  ven 
tured  Mrs.  Grange,  as  she  peered  around  her  as  though 
expecting  to  see  a  ghost.  She  evidently  saw  something ; 
for  her  face  turned  very  white  and  she  trembled  with 
fright  as  she  sank  into  a  chair. 

The  President  saw  but  paid  no  attention  to  her.  He 
was  interested  in  Marriet  Motuble.  The  story  she  was 
telling  was  a  revelation  to  him. 

She,  too,  saw  that  something  unusual  had  happened  to 
Mrs.  Grange,  but  paid  no  attention  to  her,  and  con 
tinued:  "I  know  the  child's  genealogies,  of  both  her 
past  and  present  existence.  She,  like  myself,  is  here  for 


78          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

a  purpose.  There  are  many  who  have  congregated  here 
for  the  same  purpose.  While  the  prime  cause  for  the 
great  meeting  here  was  the  same,  many  great  results  will 
be  obtained  other  than  the  one  hoped  for  in  the  begin 
ning." 

"Can  it  be  that  you  are  here  also  to  aid  the  scien 
tists  in  getting  proof  to  bring  the  'Plunger  from  Kan 
sas'  to  justice?"  asked  the  President,  with  much  sur 
prise,  and  showing  great  interest. 

"Indirectly  only.  I  am  here  for  the  direct  purpose 
of  finding  one  whom  I  loved  in  that  same  time — a 
young,  beautiful  woman,  whose  poverty  was  the  result 
of  the  doings  of  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas,'  and  who 
suffered  much  loss  financially  and  great  abuse  from  the 
slanderous  tongues  of  jealous  Americans  living  in  Chi 
huahua." 

"Are  you  certain  that  the  lady  of  whom  you  speak  is 
living  now  ?"  asked  the  President. 

"It  must  be  true.  I  feel  her  presence,  yet  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  her.  She  will  come.  She  will 
come.  A  young  woman,  beautiful  and  talented.  Must 
I  wait  much  longer?  I " 

Her  last  remark  was  cut  short  by  some  one  calling,  in 
a  low,  sweet  tone:  "Senorita  Motuble.  Ah,  here  you 
are.  I  have  been  looking  for  you  for  two  hours.  I  am 
Catalina  Martinet.  It  was  my  tomb  you  had  built 
long,  long  ago.  You  remember  now,  don't  you  ?" 

She  caught  the  beautiful  child  in  her  arms,  kissed 
her  in  her  passionate  way,  and  cried:  "Yes,  dearie,  I 
know  you.  You  are  happy  now,  are  you  not  ?" 

"Oh,  yes !"  exclaimed  the  child.  "Since  I  know  that 
justice  comes  to  all,  I  am  happy.  And  you?" 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        79 

"Dearie,  I  too  am  happy  in  a  way.  But  do  not  worry 
about  me.  Let  us  talk  about  other  things.  Catalina, 
this  gentleman,  Mr.  Mortingo,  is  President  of  the 
United  States." 

"Your  Honor,  it  is  with  much  pleasure  I  meet  you 
again,"  Catalina  smilingly  replied.  "I  remember  you 
quite  well.  I  met  you  when  you  were  here  before." 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  the  President.  "Dear 
child,  I  was  never  in  this  city  before.  This  is  my  first 
visit." 

"Too  bad,  he  does  not  remember,"  addressing  Miss 
Motuble.  Then  to  the  President  she  said:  "In  your 
other  life.  I  will  call  the  Governor  to  give  you  some 
'Memory  Fluid';"  and  with  a  wave  of  her  hand,  before 
they  could  realize  what  she  was  going  to  do,  she  was 
gone. 

The  President's  conversation  with  Miss  Motuble  had 
not  been  carried  on  without  many  interruptions. 
While  he  realized  that  he  was  the  most  prominent  per 
son  present,  and  that  he  owed  part  of  his  time  to  all, 
yet  so  intensely  interested  was  he  in  the  aggressive  Miss 
Motuble,  that  he  was  determined  at  any  cost  to  hear  her 
story  through. 

The  remark  of  Catalina  Martinet  was  heard  by  many 
near  by,  some  of  whom  were  intimate  friends  of  the 
President.  They  now  stepped  forward  and  began  to 
banter  him  about  taking  "Memory  Fluid." 

The  President  took  their  jests  in  good  part,  at  the 
same  time  avowing  his  intention  of  experimenting  with 
the  wonderful  fluid. 

While  those  around  the  President  listened  with  much 


80          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

merriment  to  him,  as  he  related  the  little  incident  with 
the  child,  Harriet  Motuble  turned  her  attention  to  the 
beautiful,  retiring  Mrs.  Grange,  who,  so  far  as  the 
President  was  concerned,  had  ceased  to  exist. 

"This/'  she  exclaimed,  as  she  held  up  Mrs.  Grange's 
lifeless  head,  "is  an  example  of  coming  memory." 

The  President  looked  at  her  for  a  moment  in  mute 
astonishment. 

"Oh,  your  Honor,  it  is  true." 

"But   the    fluid,    Miss    Motuble.     Who    gave    her 
'Memory  Fluid'?"  asked  the  Spanish  Consul,  who  had 
been  an  eager  listener  only  for  the  present  time. 
"I,  your  most  humble  servant.     I  did." 
"But  when  and  how?"  asked  the  President's  daugh 
ter,  who  just  came  up. 

"Possibly  I  would  better  not  say,"  Miss  Motuble 
answered. 

"Oh,  do ;  oh,  do !"  came  from  all  sides. 
"Yes,  let  us  hear,  Miss  Motuble,  how  you  came  to  be 
such  an  expert  in  handling  our  fluid,"  quietly  asked  the 
Governor,  who  came  up  leading  Catalina  Martinet. 

Marriet  Motuble  dropped  the  lifeless  head  of  Mrs. 
Grange  on  the  back  of  the  chair  where  she  sat,  and  in  a 
pleading  voice  said :  "Dear  Governor,  I  must  first  have 
your  promise  that  you  will  forgive  me  for  making  tests 
of  your  fluid  without  the  consent  of  yourself  or  the 
great  scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales.  Don't  tell  me,  I 
pray,  that  I  have  taken  too  much  liberty  with  your  great 
discovery." 

"On  the  other  hand,  Miss  Motuble,  I  am  personally 
delighted  that  you  are  thus  experimenting,  and  I  feel 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        81 

confident  my  able  coworkers  too,  will  be  grateful  to  you 
for  taking  so  much  interest  in  our  'Memory  Fluid/  '; 

"Bravo !  Say,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  that  is  the  kind 
of  stuff  to  make  governors  out  of,  and  scientists,  too. 
Well,  so  long  as  the  culprit  is  not  to  be  punished,  I  will 
confess.  While  'Memory  Fluid'  has  no  odor,  a  simple 
inhalation  of  it  will  cause  a  cataleptic  state,  such  as  the 
state  in  which  we  now  find  the  beautiful  (?)  Mrs. 
Grange.  When  she  comes  out  of  this  state,  in  which  she 
has  been  about  five  minutes,  she  will  begin  to  remember. 
And  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  she  will  begin  to  regret  the 
life  of  deceit  she  has  been  leading." 

Catalina  cried:  "Senorita  Motuble,  she  will  remem 
ber  and  yet  will  be  punished  for  her  ill  treatment  of  me 
in  that  unhappy  life  of  mine,  long,  long  ago." 

Everyone  stood  around  in  breathless  surprise. 

Marriet  Motuble  kissed  the  child  Catalina,  standing 
by  her  side  and  holding  in  tight  clasp  the  Governor's 
hand,  and  said:  "Dearie,  she  will  remember,  and  I 
hope  that  her  first  regret  will  be  of  her  ill  treatment  of 
you.  See !  she  moves." 

The  crowd  stood  back  in  breathless  expectation. 

Secretly  the  Governor  and  the  other  two  scientists 
rejoiced  at  what  was  now  taking  place.  It  was  the 
realization  of  a  long-looked-for  opportunity.  A  public 
exhibition  of  the  effect  of  "Memory  Fluid"  and  the 
proof  of  its  harmlessness. 

"She  moves  again,"  came  in  subdued  tones  from  some 
one  standing  by.  Much  the  same  effect  seemed  to  be 
produced  upon  those  witnessing  the  scene,  as  would 
take  place  if  Mrs.  Grange  had  been  dead  and  they  were 
waiting  to  see  her  return  to  life. 


82          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"She  moves  again,"  said  the  Spanish  consul,  stepping 
closer.  "The  fluid  has  caused  no  change  in  her  com 
plexion,  and  her  circulation  is  very  little  wrong,"  he 
concluded,  as  he  let  her  wrist  drop,  but  gazed  with 
evident  admiration  into  her  face. 

He  tarried  a  little  too  long.  She  opened  her  eyes, 
and  finding  a  strange  face  so  close  to  hers,  exclaimed  at 
the  same  moment  as  she  threw  out  her  hands  and  pushed 
him  away : 

"The  impudence  of  you,  you  ill-bred  scamp !" 

"But,  madam,"  said  the  President,  "it  was  his  anxiety 
for  your  return  to  consciousness  that  caused  the  consul 
to  be  peering  into  your  face." 

"Your  explanation  is  satisfactory,  President.  But 
are  you  not  mistaken  about  me  having  been  uncon 
scious  ?" 

"In  a  certain  sense,  madam,  you  were,"  replied  the 
Governor. 

"But,  you  remember,  do  you  not,  Mrs.  Grange, — 
Aunty  Inez  ?"  asked  the  child. 

Mrs.  Grange  sprang  to  her  feet.  "Have  I  been  living 
a  dream  all  of  my  past  life,  or  am  I  now  dreaming?" 

"Neither,  dear  madam,"  replied  the  great  scientist, 
Guillermo  Gonzales ;  "neither,  madam.  You  are  simply 
confused  with  the  remembrances  of  two  lives." 

In  an  abstracted  manner  she  took  the  hands  of  Cata- 
lina  Martinet  in  her  own,  and  gazing  intently  into  her 
face  for  a  moment,  said:  "It  is  the  same  child.  The 
other  life  is  plain  to  me  now.  Am  I  to  be  punished? 
I  did  ill-treat  her  then;  I  did.  But  spare  me,  spare 
me !"  She  pleadingly  called  out  to  some  invisible  per- 


Mrs.  Grange  and  the  President.        83 

son.  Turning  her  face  away  from  the  child,  she  looked 
straight  into  the  laughing  face  of  Harriet  Motuble,  who 
said: 

"I  thought  it  would  come,  Sister  Grange.  In  fact,  I 
knew  it  would  come." 

"Such  torture,"  she  cried,  turning  from  first  one  to 
the  other,  "such  torture;  save  me,  save  me!" 

"We  cannot  do  that,  dear  madam;  we  have  no  such 
power.  You  need  have  no  fear.  It  is  the  awakening 
of  your  soul,  and  only  good  can  be  the  final  result,"  said 
the  Governor. 

"Your  words  only  harrass  me.  There  are  so  many  here 
to  chide  me  for  my  unjust  treatment  of  the  child  there, 
in  that  other  life."  Spying  a  new  face  close  by,  she 
fairly  screamed:  "What,  you  here?" 

Everybody  turned  to  see  who  it  was  that  caused  the 
half  crazy  woman — crazy  with  guilt — to  cry  out  so, 
when  a  queenly  young  woman  stepped  forward  and  said : 

"I  certainly  am  sorry  my  presence  has  created  such 
an  uproar.  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  now  apologize." 

"Have  you  ever  met  the  woman?"  asked  the  Presi 
dent. 

"Not  in  this  life,  your  Honor." 

"She  remembers  me,  though,"  said  Mrs.  Grange, 
"and  I  her." 

"If  that  be  true,"  said  the  Governor,  "present  me, 
dear  madam.  I  have  not  the  honor  of  her  acquaint 
ance." 

As  Mrs.  Grange  sank  into  a  chair  she  put  her  hands 
over  her  eyes,  as  if  to  hide  from  view  of  every  one,  and 
said:  "Your  Honor,  the  lady  was  Helen  Hinckley,  in 


84          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

that  time  long  past,"  then  sank  into  her  former  state  of 
unconsciousness. 

Helen  Hinckley,  with  a  pleasing  smile,  advanced  with 
outstretched  hands  to  the  Governor,  and  in  her  charm 
ing  voice,  said :  "By  which  name  I  have  the  pleasure  to 
present  myself  to  your  Honor  now." 

The  Governor  took  her  two  beautiful  hands  into  his 
own,  and  as  he  looked  into  her  open  countenance,  and 
beautiful  eyes,  he  realized  that  at  last  he  had  met  his 
fate. 


The  President  Surprised.  85 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   PRESIDENT   SURPRISED. 

IT  was  the  intention  of  the  Presidential  party  to  spend 
one  day  and  night  in  Chihuahua,  and  to  leave  the  fol 
lowing  morning  before  eleven  o'clock  for  Saltillo,  where 
they  would  spend  a  few  days  visiting  her  large  and 
famous  educational  institutions,  of  which  the  United 
States  is  justly  proud. 

But  instead  of  carrying  out  the  plan  for  the  tour, 
he  sent  a  message,  saying  his  visit  would  be  delayed,  to 
the  president  of  the  most  renowned  of  the  ten  schools, 
which  had  made  the  beautiful  city  of  Saltillo,  away  up 
in  the  Sierra  Madre  mountains,  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea  level,  the  envy  of  all  pedagogues  all  over  the 
East  and  North.  The  hub  of  learning  was  no  longer 
said  to  be  in  the  old,  puritanical  town  of  Boston, 
as  was  credited  to  it  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

A  strange  shifting  of  scenes  had  taken  place,  not  only 
in  the  fall  of  Boston  from  its  educational  pedestal,  but 
in  the  shifting  of  the  axis  of  the  earth,  changing  the 
positions  of  the  poles,  and  creating  in  different  parts 
of  the  world  a  different  climate  from  what  had  been  in 
years  gone  by,  as  well  as  different  animal,  vegetable  life 
and  mineral  deposits. 

The  great  school,  "For  Hidden  Thought/'  of  which 


86          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Francisco  de  Urdinola  was  president,  was  the  institution 
of  greatest  note  in  Saltillo,  and  the  only  one  of  its  kind 
in  America.  It  was  to  the  president  of  this  University 
that  the  President  of  the  United  States  sent  a  message, 
saying  that  the  date  of  his  arrival  in  Saltillo  would  bo 
delayed. 

President  Mortingo  had  a  short  conversation  with 
Governor  Lehumada  at  the  close  of  the  banquet  the  pre 
vious  evening,  in  which  the  President  declared  his  inten 
tions  of  becoming  a  "subject"  the  following  day,  to  see 
if  he  could  fathom  the  mysteries  of  the  evening. 

He  made  an  appointment  also  to  meet  the  child, 
Catalina  Martinet,  at  the  Governor's  home,  at  nine 
o'clock,  after  which  meeting  he  would  go  to  the  studio 
of  the  scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

As  the  President  sped  through  the  beautiful  streets 
of  Chihuahua,  from  the  Mexican  Annex,  to  the  palatial 
home  of  Governor  Lehumada,  his  thoughts  travelled 
with  surprising  rapidity  from  one  occurrence  to  another 
of  the  last  evening. 

He  had  never  taken  life  seriously,  and  notwithstand 
ing  the  fact  that  he  had  thought  last  night  that  the 
"Memory  Fluid"  possessed  an  uncanny  element,  he 
laughed  to  himself  now,  and  declared  the  whole  scene 
was  an  uproarious  comedietta,  in  which  he  was  about  to 
present  himself  before  the  public  as  the  buffoon.  He 
chuckled  at  the  thought  of  the  prominence  from  a  new 
point  of  view  it  would  bring  him,  by  submitting  himself 
as  a  subject  for  the  great  scientists  to  further  experi 
ment  upon.  He  had  always  been  ambitious  to  shine 
before  the  public.  He  was  chosen  President  of  the 


The  President  Surprised.  87 

United  States,  not  because  he  was  a  great  politician,  or 
a  man  who  had  distinguished  himself  in  the  service  of 
his  country;  quite  the  contrary.  He  came  by  chance, 
as  it  were,  into  the  presidential  chair.  He  had  great 
wealth  and  good  nature  combined,  and  he  allowed  him 
self  to  be  used  by  his  friends.  It  was  a  great  plum  he 
had  secured  by  being  good-natured,  and  his  face  con 
stantly  glowed  with  evident  satisfaction. 

The  two  great  political  parties  had  ceased  to  agree 
amongst  themselves,  and  on  the  eve  of  the  great  na 
tional  election  a  black  horse  had  been  run  into  the  ring 
and  won  the  race. 

Each  party  was  glad  the  other  had  not  won  the  race, 
and  each  felt  assured  that  the  blade  horse  would  not 
prove  a  serious  stumbling-block  to  the  many  projects 
each  party  hoped  to  accomplish  by  the  election  of  a  man 
from  its  own  party. 

Far  beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  the 
people,  he  had  proved  a  benefactor.  His  good-nature, 
coupled  with  his  desire  to  do  no  one  a  wrong  person 
ally,  and  produce  all  the  good  possible  to  the  nation,  was 
a  balm  to  the  hurt  minds  of  the  two  defeated  parties. 

All  of  these  things  Mr.  Mortingo  knew  very  well,  and 
reflected  over  them  now  with  much  satisfaction.  It 
was  the  pleasant  things  of  life  he  was  seeking,  and  he 
had  his  full  share.  He  accepted  all  favors  shown  him, 
even  those  from  persons  whom  he  knew  to  be  enemies, 
and  whose  object  in  showing  him  courtesies  was  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  gaining  some  political  favor  or  social 
prestige.  He  smiled  as  he  stepped  from  the  carriage, 
and  thought  of  the  sensation  the  step  he  was  about  to 
take  would  make  upon  the  people. 


88          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Governor  Lehumada  received  him  in  his  wonderful 
drawing-room,  with  the  respect  due  his  position,  and  at 
once  presented  the  child,  Catalina  Martinet.  She  cur- 
tesied  prettily  and  gave  her  tiny  hand  to  the  President. 
He  kissed  her  bright  face  and  asked  her  to  sit  on  the 
chair  placed  by  the  one  he  was  to  occupy,  and  to  excuse 
him  one  moment.  Then  he  drew  his  arm  through  the 
arm  of  the  Governor,  and  as  they  walked  a  few  steps 
away,  said:  "Your  Honor,  does  the  child  know  I  have 
come  to  see  her?" 

"She  does  not,  sir;  at  least  she  does  not  know  by  be 
ing  told.  I  have,  however,  a  feeling  that  she  divined 
you  were  coming,  and  that  you.  would  talk  to  her  upon 
the  subject  of  a  past  existence,"  replied  the  Governor. 

"I  am  sorry  she  suspects  the  object  of  my  visit.  I 
am  afraid  the  mere  fact  of  it  will  make  me  incredulous 
of  her  statements,"  said  the  President.  "However/'  he 
continued,  "what  led  you  into  the  belief  you  have  just 
stated  ?" 

The  Governor  walked  a  few  steps  further  away  with 
his  friend,  and  in  a  lower  tone  said:  "The  child  has 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  me,  and  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  I  tried  to  persuade  her  not  to  call  me  'papa/  she 
persists  in  so  doing.  She  is  a  child  a  man  in  any  posi 
tion  in  life  would  be  proud  to  claim  as  his  own,  yet 
being  a  bachelor  I  feel  a  certain  timidity  in  being 
addressed  as  'papa.'  Now  to  answer  your  question, 
what  led  me  to  suspect  that  she  knew  you  would  call  this 
morning  and  the  object  of  your  call  as  well  ?  While  I 
was  taking  my  breakfast  she  ran  into  the  room,  and 
after  throwing  her  arms  around  my  neck  and  kissing  me 


The  President  Surprised.  89 

fondly,  she  exclaimed:  'Dear  papa,  dear  papa,  the 
great  man  will  be  here  presently ;  I  will  run  to  the  house 
I  used  to  have  for  a  home,  and  get  the  philopena  he  gave 
me  in  the  other  life.  I  promised  to  keep  it  always,  and 
I  want  to  show  him  I  still  have  it.  Then  he  will  remem 
ber.' 

"  'Is  the  President  coming  to  see  you,  Catalina  ?'  I 
asked. 

"  'Dear  papa,  you  Tcnow  he  is ;  may  I  go  for  the  philo 
pena  now?' 

"  'No,  child/  I  replied,  'not  now ;  but  if  our  President 
comes  and  wishes  to  see  the  philopena,  you  may  go  for 
it.' " 

"Oh,  thank  you;  thank  you.  Do  let  the  sweet  child 
go  at  once,"  said  the  President. 

"Do  you  want  me  ?"  cried  Catalina,  starting  from  her 
seat  toward  them,  as  they  turned  around  to  call  her. 

"We  certainly  do,"  replied  the  Governor,  as  he  caught 
the  happy  child  in  his  arms.  "We  certainly  do,  do  we 
not,  President?" 

The  President  looked  at  the  two  for  a  moment  in 
mute  astonishment,  then  replied:  "We  do  want  you, 
dear,  but  how  strange!" 

"I  wear  the  philopena,  President;  you  remember  it, 
don't  you?" 

The  Governor  looked  at  her  questioningly,  to  which 
she  replied: 

"I  slipped  away,  papa,  just  for  a  moment,  to  get  it. 
I  knew  the  Presdient  would  want  to  see  is;"  with  that 
she  handed  him  a  curious  coin  suspended  from  a  small 
silver  chain. 


90          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  both  men,  as  they  examined  it 
curiously. 

Catalina  looked  serious  as  she  replied :  "He  does  not 
remember.  It  is  speiss,  a  five-cent  piece,  you  gave  me 
for  winning  the  second  game  of  checkers  I  played  after 
you  taught  me  how.  You  said  you  would  never  see  it 
again,  for  I  would  give  it  to  the  priest  some  day  when 
I  went  to  confess ;  playing  checkers  for  a  philopena." 

"This  is  an  old  coin,"  said  the  President ;  "it  is  dated 
1898." 

"And  the  day  we  played  the  game  is  cut  on  it  also," 
said  Catalina. 

"A  date  is  on  it — December  the  seventh.  But  who 
put  it  there?"  asked  the  President. 

"Why,  you  cut  the  letters  on  it,  your  Honor,"  Catalina 
replied,  "with  a  little  pearl-handled  knife.  I  have  it 
also.  You  used  many  big  words  to  me  then,  but  I  re 
member  them  all  very  well.  Do  you  remember  what 
you  said  the  priest  might  do  with  the  knife,  if  I  were 
not  a  good  girl?" 

"You  forget,  child,  the  President  does  not  remember ; 
but  tell  us  about  the  knife,"  said  the  Governor. 

"Do;  I  am  all  curiosity,"  said  the  President. 

"It  is  a  big  word  you  used,"  said  Catalina,  "and  if 
you  do  not  remember,  I  will  have  to  tell  you  what  it 
means.  You  said  if  I  were  not  a  good  girl,  the  priest 
would  perform  phlebotomy  upon  me." 

"We  do  not  know — explain,  child,"  said  Governor 
Lehumada. 

"He  meant,  the  priest  would  open  a  blood-vessel,  and 
all  of  my  blood  would  run  out,"  laughed  the  child. 


The  President  Surprised.  91 

"But  were  you  so  bad  that  I  had  to  be  constantly 
reminding  you  of  the  fact  ?"  asked  President  Mortingo. 

"I  was  not  bad  then/'  said  the  child;  "it  was  only 
after  I  knew  of  the  disgrace  of  my  birth  that  I  got  to 
be  disagreeable  and  bad.  It  is  now  time  for  you  to  take 
'Memory  Fluid'  from  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales.  I 
will  tell  you  about  other  things  when  you  remember. 
I  am  now  going  to  meet  Helen  Hinckley  in  the  Ala- 
meda."  She  shook  hands  with  the  President;  kissed 
the  Governor  fondly,  and  with  the  air  of  a  queen  swept 
from  the  room. 

"How  strange,"  said  the  President;  "a  child  and  a 
queen  in  one;"  while  Governor  Lehumada,  with  a 
smile  on  his  face,  murmured:  "Helen  Hinckley,  my 
long-lost  love,  found  at  last,  at  last.  Would  that  I,  too, 
could  hasten  to  her." 

"The  President  heard  the  Governor's  confession  of 
love,  but  gave  no  sign  that  his  secret  had  been  betrayed. 
"With  your  permission,  Governor,  I  will  go  at  once  to 
the  studio  of  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales.  I  wish  to  be 
come  a  subject  immediately,  the  child  has  enthused  me 
very  much ;  in  fact,  I  never  believed  it  possible  for  any 
one  to  arouse  my  curiosity  to  such  an  extent." 

At  that  moment  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  was 
shown  into  the  drawing-room,  and  as  he  greeted  the 
President,  said:  "To  keep  the  matter  of  you  becom 
ing  a  subject  very  quiet,  I  came  at  a  suggestion  just  re 
ceived  from  the  Governor,  to  administer  the  'Fluid' 
here." 

"How  considerate,"  said  President  Mortingo.  "I 
really  felt  a  little  delicacy  in  going  to  your  laboratory. 


92          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Let  the  experiments  begin  now,  I  pray  you.  I  really 
am  getting  nervous  over  it.  I  hope  I  will  not  be 
affected,  on  my  return  to  a  conscious  condition,  as  was 
poor  Mrs.  Grange  last  night/' 

"Have  no  fears,  President;  it  is  not  likely  you  com 
mitted  any  evil  deeds  in  a  life  gone  by  for  which  you 
will  now  suffer  remorse.  Your  presence  in  this  life  is 
no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  you  desired  knowledge — 
desired  to  reach  the  highest  plane,  without  any  waste 
of  years." 

"That  is  most  likely/'  said  the  Governor.  "Friend 
Gonzales  is  quite  right.  To  avoid  any  further  delay, 
please  follow  me  into  my  private  study.  As  soon  as 
the  'Fluid'  is  administered,  I  will  leave  you  with  Senors 
Gonzales  and  Murillo,  until  the  period  we  desire  is 
reached.  Then  I  will  return.  A  matter  of  great  im 
portance  has  come  up  recently,  within  the  last  hours, 
which  I  wish  to  attend  to  personally." 

"You  are  quite  excusable,  Governor,  quite  excusable," 
replied  the  good-natured  President.  He  thought  he 
knew  what  the  "important  business"  was  that  had  re 
cently  come  up,  to  which  the  Governor  wished  to  give 
his  personal  attention. 

His  vein  of  humor  produced  a  hearty  laugh  from  the 
three  men  besides  himself  in  the  room  when  he  received 
the  small  glass  containing  "Memory  Fluid"  in  his  hand, 
and  holding  it  aloft,  said:  "I  drink,  oh,  thou  Great 
Eevealer,  to  the  health  of  all  my  present  enemies  and 
friends,  to  all  friends  and  enemies  I  had  in  those  lives 
I  am  supposed  to  have  lived  ages  and  ages  ago!  Oh, 
thou  Muse,  bring  me  Memory,  that  I  may  know  myself 


The  President  Surprised  93 

now  as  I  was  then!  Was  I  then  a  mule  driver,  or  a 
bootblack  in  America;  a  mozo  in  Mexico,  or  an  Em 
peror  of  Germany?" 

He  sipped  the  tasteless  liquid  and  lapsed  into  silence. 

Guillermo  Gonzales  nodded  to  Governor  Lehumada 
significantly,  and  the  Governor  at  once  made  his  exit. 

He  hurried  to  his  dressing-room  and  began  to  make 
some  changes  in  his  toilet.  Satisfied  with  himself,  from 
the  reflection  he  saw  in  the  mirror,  he  rang  for  the 
coach,  and  while  waiting  for  it  to  be  announced,  ex 
claimed  :  "The  greatest  moment  in  my  life  has  come ! 
Dearest  Helen,  thou  wilt  be  mine!  You  must!  You 
shall !  I  have  lived  sadly  through  one  existence  search 
ing  for  you,  and  several  times  during  this  life  I  have 
been  on  the  very  verge  of  despair  because  I  could  not 
find  you — and  I  would  have  despaired,  were  it  not  that 
even  in  a  past  life  I  knew  a  power  would  be  given  to  me 
to  discover  an  element  from  Nature  which  would  be  in 
strumental  in  bringing  you  to  my  arms.  The  insincer  • 
ity  of  humanity  has,  since  the  beginning  of  time,  caused 
more  heartaches  and  trouble  than  any  other  one  thing. 
To  the  great  Creator  I  certainly  give  thanks  for  the  germ 
of  sincerity  he  sowed  in  my  breast,  and  the  proper  nu 
trition  he  placed  there  to  make  it  grow.  There,  Juan 
says  my  coach  is  ready;  I  must  hasten  to  meet  my 
love." 

With  a  sweeping  glance  at  his  mirror,  he  hastened  out 
of  the  room  and  down  the  long  stairs.  On  nearing  the 
drawing-room  door,  Juan  said :  "Your  Honor,  a  senor- 
ita  awaits  you  in  the  drawing-room." 

The  Governor  took  the  large  white  card  from  the 


94          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

silver  tray  his  man  held  out  to  him,  and  with  a  look  of 
dismay  upon  his  face,  read  aloud:  "Miss  Harriet 
Motuble."  "A  very  great  disappointment,  dear,  dear 
Helen.  When  will  I  ever  have  another  opportunity  to 
see  you?  It  is  unjust  for  me  to  feel  this  way.  I  will 
enter  at  once,  and  not  keep  the  senorita  waiting.  Juan, 
tell  Miss  Motuble  I  will  be  in  at  once." 

While  Juan  entered  the  drawing-room  Governor 
Lehumada  removed  his  gloves  and  hat,  and  was  glad  to 
have  the  opportunity  to  collect  himself,  and  when  Juan 
reappeared,  he  asked:  "Do  you  see  any  signs  of  dis 
pleasure  on  my  face?" 

"No,  your  Honor ;  your  face  is  as  serene  as  the  morn 
ing  sky." 

"Thanks,  Juan.  It  is  another  victory.  Take  my 
hat  and  gloves,  and  tell  the  coachman  to  go  to  the  Ala- 
meda.  The  child,  Catalina  Martinet,  is  there;  should 
she  desire  to  use  the  conveyance,  take  her  wherever  she 
wishes  to  go.  Tell  him  to  say  to  her  that  I  had  started 
for  her,  and  at  the  last  moment  was  disappointed  at  be 
ing  unable  to  go,"  whispered  Governor  Lehumada,  into 
the  ears  of  his  trusty  man.  Was  all  the  long  message 
sent  to  the  child  meant  only  to  be  delivered  for  her 
ears? 

"Certainly  not,"  mentally  remarked  Juan.  "I  kind 
of  have  a  suspicion  that  there  is  something  more  than 
'Memory  Fluid'  bothering  the  Governor  for  several 
days;  but  then  I  am  only  Juan,  and  not  a  great 
Governor,  author  and  scientist.  I  will  experiment  one 
day,  if  I  can,  and  help  to  solve  the  great  problem  of 
life.  I  wonder  if  it  is  probable  that  the  Governor  has 


The  President  Surprised.  95 

fallen  in  love  with  some  beautiful  young  woman?  I 
will  find  out,  if  it  can  be  done.  I  will  from  this 
moment  camp  on  his  tracks,  and  when  I  have  a  chance 
I  will  slip  some  'Memory  Fluid/  for  I  has  a  notion  in 
my  old  head  that  I  lived  before.  I  has  a  notion  that 
Mr.  Niksab  and  J.  Ecarg,  were  known  to  me  somewhere, 
long,  long  ago/'  He  smiled  to  himself  as  he  went  out 
to  give  the  Governor's  orders. 

On  his  return  to  the  house  he  stationed  himself  con 
veniently  near  the  drawing-room  door,  so  close  that 
every  word  uttered  by  the  aggressive  senorita  was  heard 
by  him. 

When  Governor  Lehumada  entered  the  drawing- 
room,  he  felt  very  much  like  a  schoolboy  who  had  been 
punished  for  not  wanting  to  enter  the  parlor  and  be 
pleasant  to  callers.  He  was  ashamed  of  himself,  and 
tried  to  make  amends  for  his  actions  by  being  more 
gracious  than  was  necessary. 

Miss  Motuble  mistook  his  gallantry  and  great  hospi 
tality  for  demonstrations  of  love,  and  after  greeting  the 
object  of  her  affections,  she  sank  into  a  chair  close  by, 
much  overcome  with  emotions.  She  believed  she  had 
won  a  conquest.  She  was  unable  for  some  minutes  to 
speak.  Her  face  became  red  and  white  by  turns,  her 
breast  heaved  with  great  convulsions,  while  her  hand 
trembled  so  violently  that  she  had  no  power  over  the  fan 
she  was  trying  to  move. 

The  Governor  saw  the  condition  she  was  in,  and  from 
the  bottom  of  his  heart  he  pitied  her.  The  object  of 
his  heart's  desire  affected  him  much  the  same  way  when 
he  saw  her.  "But  I  need  no  sympathy,"  he  argued  to 


90          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

himself,  "for  my  love  is  reciprocated;  my  Helen  is 
mine,  and  I  am  hers.  It  is  the  law  of  the  inevitable. 
It  could  not  be  otherwise.  Miss  Motuble,"  he  contin 
ued,  "is  there  any  way  in  which  I  can  serve  you  this 
morning?  Can  it  be  you  are  not  well?" 

The  tone  in  which  he  addressed  her,  more  than  what 
he  said,  was  the  tonic  Miss  Motuble  needed.  She  failed 
to  hide  her  irritation,  and  sitting  erect  in  a  moment,  her 
face,  crimson  with  rage,  said :  "How  can  you  serve  me 
this  morning?  I  need  no  assistance  whatever,  sir.  I 
am  neither  in  need  of  money  or  advice:  on  the  other 
hand,  I  came  to  proffer  certain  valuable  information  I 
have  recently  obtained.  I  ferreted  it  out.  I  admit  it 
cost  me  considerable  time  and  expense,  but  I  learned  of 
the  scorpion's  movements,  as  well  as  his  entire  pedigree. 
I  have  it  all  here — the  written  statements  of  many  who 
knew  him.  He  was  not  an  opera  singer  in  the  life  long 
past;  he  was  a  vocalist  in  a  missionary  choir,  and  he 
wafted  his  dulcet  tones  high  and  loud  every  Sunday  for 
the  edification  of  the  congregation  which,  by  the  way, 
was  very  small.  I  know  them  all,  the  scorpions.  Then 
to  think  I  came  here  to  tell  you  of  my  remembrances 
and  the  many  written  statements  I  have  from  others 
to  aid  you  in  your  great  experiments,  and  am  ap 
proached  by  you  as  the  aggressor,  the  one  to  whom  a 
favor  needs  to  be  shown.  No,  Governor  Lehumada; 
no,  sir,  I  will  not  tolerate  any  such  impudence  even 
from  you.  I  will  not  further  state  the  object  of  my 
call.  I  now  have  the  pleasure  to  bid  you  good  morn 
ing."  She  arose  to  her  feet,  and  with  one  turn  of  her 
huge  frame  had  swept  past  the  Governor. 


The  President  Surprised.  97 

She  had  spoken  so  fast  and  so  fiercely,  after  she  came 
out  of  the  half-crazed  condition  into  which  her  great 
love  and  passion  had  thrown  her,  that  the  good 
Governor  knew  not  what  to  do  or  what  to  say  to  quiet 
her.  As  she  passed  into  the  hall  he  called  to  her: 
"Miss  Motuble,  I  pray  you,  my  good  young  lady,  to  stay, 
if  only  for  one  moment.  You  do  not  understand  me. 
I  certainly  am  clumsy  in  my  expressions.  Dear  miss, 
pardon  me;  if  you  have  inferred  a  discourtesy  by  any 
remark  I  have  made,  pray,  forgive  me.  You  are  a 
source  of  great  wonder  and  delight  to  me,  and  carry  a 
fund  of  valuable  information."  He  approached  her,  as 
she  stood  near  Juan  panting  like  a  tiger  at  bay,  and 
gently  laying  his  hand  upon  her  arm,  said:  "I  am 
forgiven,  am  I  not?  I  certainly  never  intentionally 
offend  anyone,  particularly  a  woman." 

She  turned  her  face,  full  of  shame  and  regret,  to 
him,  and  with  tears  in  her  eyes,  said:  "Dearie,  I  am 
so  lonely;  you  do  care  for  me,  don't  you?  It  is  not 
true,  as  I  suspected,  that  your  whole  love  is  centered  in 
Helen  Hinckley.  Is  it,  dearie?" 

With  that  she  threw  her  massive  arms  around  his  neck 
with  such  great  force,  that  his  body  swayed  to  and  fro 
like  a  babe  in  the  paws  of  a  lion. 

With  her  head  on  his  shoulder,  she  sobbed:  "Dear, 
dear  Miguey,  my  dearie,  forgive  me  for  mistrusting  you. 
I  was  frenzied  with  what  I  thought  unrequited  love. 
Great  Kevealer  of  Light,  I  thank  you  for  making  me  see 
my  mistake."  When  her  petition  was  ended  she  loos 
ened  her  arms  from  around  his  neck.  Governor  Lehu- 
mada  sank  helplessly  against  the  wall,  and  Juan  sprang 
forward  and  exclaimed: 


98          Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Your  Honor,  the  senorita  has  choked  you."  He 
supported  the  Governor,  and  addressing  Harriet  Motu- 
ble,  said:  "You  are  accountable,  miss,  for  the  helpless 
condition  of  my  master.  You  seem  to  remember  too 
much." 

All  the  time  he  had  spoken  to  her,  his  back  was 
turned.  Now,  facing  the  place  where  she  had  stood,  he 
said :  "I  take  charge  of  the  house,  now  that  my  master 
is  unconscious,  so,  you  git !"  But  to  his  great  dismay 
she  was  gone. 

He  rang  for  help,  and  soon  the  Governor  was  lying 
comfortably  in  his  own  bed. 


A  Confessed  Crime.  99 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A   CONFESSED   CRIME. 

GOVERNOR  LEHUMADA  did  not  faint,  nor  was  he  in 
the  least  injured  by  the  passionate  embrace  of  Miss 
Motuble.  He  was  speechless  from  surprise  only,  and  he 
allowed  his  men  to  assist  him  to  his  room,  realizing  that 
a  few  moments  of  quiet  for  reflection  was  what  he 
needed. 

He  assured  Juan  that  all  was  well,  and  that  he  wished 
to  be  alone  for  a  few  minutes.  Juan  shook  his  head  as 
though  he  had  many  misgivings,  and  quietly  left  the 
room.  He  walked  slowly  down  the  hall  in  deep  medi 
tation.  He  wished  that  he  were  off  duty,  so  he  could 
follow  the  strange  senorita.  He  went  into  the  yard  and 
gazed  wistfully  up  and  down  the  street,  in  the  hope  of 
seeing  her.  Heaving  a  sigh,  he  turned  to  enter  the 
house  again,  and  murmured  to  himself:  "It  must  be 
the  evil  in  the  fluid  that  is  causing  the  trouble." 

Some  one  startled  him  from  his  reverie,  by  saying: 
"You  are  his  Honor's  man  Juan,  are  you  not?" 

"I  certainly  am,"  he  replied. 

"I  was  told  to  give  you  this  letter,  and  request  of  you 
to  give  it  to  his  Honor  at  one  o'clock  this  afternoon 
sharp."  With  that  he  handed  Juan  an  official-looking 
envelope,  and  hurried  away. 


100        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Juan  turned  the  large  letter  over  and  over,  and  read 
the  address  on  the  back,  several  times:  "To  His 
Honor,  Governor  of  Chihuahua."  "Humph!  Well, 
for  once  in  my  life,  I  wish  I  was  'His  Honor.'  I  would 
make  quick  work  of  seeing  on  the  inside  of  tnis  letter. 
Association  with  these  scientists  has  caused  me  to  be  a 
man  of  much  thought.  I,  too,  have  great  ideas.  I 
know  a  thing  or  two.  Ha !  ha !  It  does  not  take  a 
scientist ;  a  Governor  or  a  President,  to  know  that  'His 
Honor'  is  in  love,  or  that  there  is  pending  (he  straight 
ened  himself  up  and  smiled  at  the  big  sentence  he  was 
framing)  a  fearful  calamity,  and  the  greatest  violence 
of  it  will  fall  upon  this  town." 

At  that  moment  the  child  Catalina  ran  up  to  him, 
and  said:  "Oh,  Juan,  let  me  go  to  him  at  once.  He 
is  in  great  trouble;  the  town  has  gone  wrong.  Juan, 
guard  his  Honor  night  and  day.  Do  not  let  anyone 
enter  the  house  without  his  knowledge.  Watch  for 
Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir.  You  know  him,  do 
you  not  ?" 

"The  great  Don, — ha !  ha !  I  do  know  him,  senorita." 

"And  the  priest,  Father  Hernandez?" 

"Him,  too,  nina.  I  tell  my  sins  to  him  every  week," 
said  Juan. 

"Oh,  Juan,  how  can  you?" 

"Because,  nina,  I  am  still  a  Catholic.  It  is  not  popu 
lar  to  be,  I  know;  but  so  long  as  'His  Honor'  knows  I 
am,  and  still  keeps  me  in  his  service,  I  will  be  true  to 
the  religion  of  my  fathers." 

"His  Honor  is  too  wise  and  too  great  a  man  to  inter 
fere  in  anyone's  religious  beliefs,"  said  Catalina. 


A  Confessed  Crime.  101 

"Yet  he  is  a  man,  and  loves/'  quietly  remarked  Juan, 
with  a  twinkle  in  his  eye. 

"He  does  love.  His  is  a  great  love;  it  extends  over 
all  humanity.  Had  you  lived  before,  Juan,  and  re 
membered  it,  you  would  understand,"  replied  the  child, 
with  deep  pathos  in  her  voice. 

Juan  laughed  heartily,  and  said:  "Pardon  me, 
nina,  but  what  can  a  child  know  of  another  life?  If 
'Memory  Fluid'  makes  senoras  viejas  out  of  ninas,  it  is 
not  good.  What  would  homes  be  without  the  innocent 
coo  and  laughter  of  babies  ?" 

"I  am  happier  now  than  before  I  remembered,  Juan. 
It  is  because  you  do  not  understand  what  it  is  to  remem 
ber,  that  makes  you  say  such  things." 

"Maybe  so ;  maybe  so,  nina,  but  Juan  is  glad  he  does 
not  remember" 

"My  dear  hombre  viejo,  you  must  remember  what  I 
told  you  about  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir  and 
the  priest,"  cried  Catalina,  as  she  ran  into  the  house. 

"Good-bye,  Juan;  watch  out  for  the  minister,  J.  T. 
Note — the  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  as  he  calls  himself,  and  his 
followers.  He  is  also  a  foe  to  progress.  Guard  him, 
Juan;  guard  him  well.  No  harm  must  come  to  his 
Honor." 

Juan's  reply  was  upon  his  lips,  but  the  charming 
child  was  gone  before  he  could  voice  it.  He  looked 
curiously  at  the  big  envelope  in  his  hand,  and  while 
reading  the  address  again  and  again,  disappeared  into 
the  house. 

No  sooner  had  Juan  and  the  Governor's  other  man 
left  him  alone,  than  he  arose  from  the  bed  upon  which 


102        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

he  was  reclining  and  walked  back  and  forth  rapidly  in 
an  abstracted  manner.  He  was  a  man  who  prided  him 
self  upon  his  personal  appearance,  and  now  as  he 
stopped  before  the  long  plate-mirror  and  surveyed  him 
self  he  said :  "Dearest  Helen,  is  there  anything  in  my 
manner  of  dress,  my  gait,  or  tone  of  voice  that  dis 
pleases?  If  so,  I  will  rectify  it  to  suit  you.  I  cannot 
see  myself  as  you  see  me;  oh,  my  love,  that  I  could! 
Oh,  for  the  power  to  see  into  the  future  as  I  now  can 
look  into  the  past.  Ye  wise  and  everlasting  Force, 
grant  me  the  boon  of  greater  knowledge.  All  I  get  will 
be  used  for  the  uplifting  of  humanity.  I  feel  the  pres 
ence  of  a  great  force  in  our  midst,  which  will  bring 
about  a  change;  a  change  so  wonderful  that  were  I  to 
prophesy,  no  one  would  believe  me.  Each  would  de 
clare  that  the  day  of  miracles  is  past.  Poor,  deluded 
creatures,  there  will  nothing  happen  which  will  be  of  a 
miraculous  nature.  Simply  the  natural  results  of  the 
present  condition  of  affairs  will  take  place.  The  mere 
fact  that  President  Mortingo  submitted  himself  as  a 
subject,  to  further  demonstrate  the  use  of  'Memory 
Fluid/  will  hasten  the  change.  We  must  be  prepared 
to  meet  it.  We  must  be  able  to  preserve  peace  at  home 
and  abroad.  I  must  not  defer  'till  morning  to  tell  my 
fears  to  the  heads  of  departments."  He  stepped  to  an 
ivory  tube  by  the  side  of  his  great  mirror,  and  said, 
speaking  through  it :  "Convey  to  the  head  of  each  de 
partment  the  following : 

"  'Prepare  for  trouble.  Try  to  avert  it.  Help  me 
generate  a  great  soul  wave,  that  we  may  quell  the  dis 
turbers  of  peace  and  enemies  of  progress  without  force 


A  Confessed  Crime.  103 

or  bloodshed.  If  trouble  comes,  it  will  be  by  the  brew 
ing  of  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  Father  Her 
nandez,  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  and  the  husband  of  Mrs.  Grange, 
who  is  assistant  Freight  Agent  of  the  Chihuahua  Air 
Motor  Eailroad  Company,  at  this  city.  If  he  joins  the 
peace  disturbers  it  will  be  in  an  underhand  way.  He 
has  not  the  courage  of  the  other  gentlemen  just  men 
tioned.  The  prime  movers  in  any  trouble  that  may 
arise  will  be  the  three  first  mentioned.  Others  will  join 
them.  Many  well-known  and  prominent  citizens,  who 
writhe  in  envy  at  the  success  of  our  administration,  be 
cause  the  one  in  which  they  figured  was  a  failure  from 
more  points  of  view  than  one,  will  be  glad  of  the  op 
portunity  to  join  the  rebels  and  to  assist  in  a  cause 
against  us.  Not  because  they  believe  in  the  leaders, 
Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir  and  faction — not  by 
any  means — it  is  because  they  are  our  enemies  and  wish 
to  make  us  trouble,  to  create  discord,  to  overthrow  our 
rule.  No  blood  must  be  shed.  We  do  not  care  to  re 
peat  the  old  story.  The  theories  we  advocate  and  prac 
tice  must  not  be  thrust  upon  humanity  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet.  In  ages  gone  by,  the  Christian  religion 
was  carried  into  all  lands,  the  sword  in  one  hand,  and 
the  cross  they  wished  to  implant,  in  the  other.  There 
must  be  an  awakening  of  the  spirit  of  God  within  man 
first.  It  never  comes  by  force.  Love  is  the  upbuilding 
of  the  race.  It  grows  within  the  breast  of  man  after  its 
awakening,  and  spreads  its  perfume  all  around,  like  a 
beautiful,  fragrant  rose  in  a  well-attended  garden.  Ee- 
member,  force  must  only  be  employed  to  protect  the 
lives  and  property  of  our  citizens,  should  an  uprising 


104        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

occur.     That  is  all  the  instructions  I  care  to  give. 
Adios,  gentlemen/  " 

At  the  moment  he  ceased  talking,  Catalina  Martinet 
entered  the  room,  unannounced.  "Dear  papa/'  she 
said,  "I  thought  I  never  would  find  you." 

"But  you  succeeded.  Come,  tell  me  how  you  en 
joyed  yourself  in  the  Alameda,"  replied  the  Governor, 
placing  a  chair  by  his  side  for  the  strange  child.  He 
felt  a  delicacy  in  asking  about  Helen  Hinckley,  yet  he 
secretly  hoped  she  would  speak  only  of  the  object  of 
his  heart's  desire. 

"Oh,  your  Honor,  it  is  about  what  I  heard  at  the  Ala 
meda  I  came  to  see.  First,  does  J.  Ecarg  repent  ?  Is 
he  doing  any  good  now?"  said  Catalina. 

"I  have  secured  an  excellent  position  for  him.  He 
works  early  and  late,  and  has  not  been  known  to  fre 
quent  any  low  places  of  resort  since  he  first  took 
'Memory  Fluid.'  He  has  certainly  repented  of  the 
great  wrong  he  did  you  in  your  previous  existence,  as 
well  as  your  mother.  A  criminal  at  the  bar  of  justice 
could  not  feel  any  greater  remorse  of  conscience  than  he 
now  does  from  the  mere  fact  that  he  in  nowise  gave  aid 
to  your  support  or  to  your  mother's.  He  now  wishes 
to  help  you." 

"I  cannot  have  help  from  him;  my  soul  is  yet  sore. 
Dear  papa,  Helen  Hinckley,  the  most  beautiful  and  the 
truest  of  women,  is  to  adopt  me." 

"Bless  her,"  cried  the  Governor.  "That  is  a  happy 
thought." 

"She  says  that  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir 
and  followers  are  excited  very  much  this  morning 


A  Confessed  Crime.  105 

Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  people  have  been  there  to 
day  to  see  him.  She  was  asked,  late  last  night,  after 
the  banquet  closed,  to  spend  the  day  away  from  the 
house,  but  to  return  not  later  than  eight  o'clock  to 
night.  Before  she  left,  those  people  began  to  come. 
She  believes  their  object  is  to  formulate  plans  to  over 
throw  the  state  rule.  She  fears  your  life  will  be  in 
danger.  She  asked  me  to  say  to  you  to  use  every  pre 
caution  to  avoid  evil,"  concluded  Catalina.  She 
seemed  to  possess  the  very  soul  of  Helen  Hinckley. 

The  Governor  looked  into  the  face  of  the  beautiful 
child,  and  as  he  wiped  a  mist  away,  that  seemed  to 
gather  in  his  eyes,  said:  "This  is  the  return  of  love. 
I  am  contented.  She  loves  me  now,  I  am  certain.  All 
is  well;  all  is  well.  It  could  not  be  otherwise  in  the 
end.  Truth  is  everlasting ;  it  endureth  forever  and  for 
ever.  In  the  end  it  triumphs.  The  waiting  for  the 
end  often  seems  an  eternity.  Without  the  one  I  love, 
every  day  is  as  an  eternity.  The  end  is  near  at  hand. 
Yet  before  it  comes,  a  fearful  struggle  will  take  place. 
Thou  great  One,  from  whom  all  light  comes,  bear  wit 
ness  to  my  integrity  of  purpose." 

The  Governor  spoke  aloud  and  gesticulated  much,  yet 
he  was  unconscious,  seemingly,  of  the  fact,  or  that  he 
had  company.  A  slight  knock  at  the  door  stopped  his 
soliloquy,  and  glancing  around  the  room  in  a  confused 
manner,  he  discovered  the  child  sound  asleep  upon  the 
chair  on  which  she  sat.  "Poor  little  darling;  after  all, 
you  are  a  healthy,  natural  child.  Exhausted  from  last 
night's  dissipation,  nature  demands  her  rights,  and  is 
now  getting  them.  If  my  Helen  has  adopted  you,  dear, 


106        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

you  are  mine,  too,  I  will  be  your  papa  after  all.''  He 
kissed  her  fondly  on  each  full,  red  cheek,  and  quietly 
opened  the  door. 

It  was  Juan  who  was  seeking  admittance.  He 
stepped  quickly  into  the  room,  after  looking  up  and 
down  the  hall  nervously,  and  closed  the  door. 

"Your  actions,  Juan,  are  strange.  Explain,"  said  the 
Governor. 

Juan  stood  shaking  and  speechless,  and  glaring  with 
wide-open  eyes  at  Catalina. 

"What  is  it,  man,  what  is  it?  Why  do  you  stand 
gaping  like  a  man  from  whom  all  reason  had  fled? 
Come,  good  man,  be  natural.  I  cannot  lose  my  old 
friend.  Come,  come,  sit  down;  I  must  do  something 
for  you,"  entreated  the  Governor,  getting  very  nervous. 
The  only  sign  of  life  Juan  had  shown  since  he  entered 
the  room,  now  appeared.  He  raised  his  long,  gaunt 
hand,  and  pointed  with  his  index  finger  to  Catalina. 

"Ah!"  exclaimed  the  Governor.  "You  are  surprised 
to  find  the  sweet  child  here.  She  is  no  cause  for  your 
being  so  frightened.  Come,  Juan,  explain  yourself," 
he  entreated,  taking  his  old  servant's  arm. 

"Your  Honor,"  he  whispered,  "she  is  not  a  child — 
she  is  a  woman,  and  a  ghost-woman  at  that." 

"Nonsense;  nonsense,  man.  Now  I  am  afraid  of 
your  reason.  She  is  very  much  of  a  child.  See  how 
soundly  she  sleeps,  and  the  glow  of  health  upon  her 
cheeks,"  the  Governor  replied  lightly,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  he  felt  slightly  annoyed  by  the  strange 
actions  of  his  man,  as  well  as  his  remarks  concerning 
the  child. 


A  Confessed  Crime.  107 

"She  may  be  a  child,  your  Honor,  but  she  prophesies. 
And  I  am  afraid  of  people  of  her  size,  who  make 
prophecies  that  come  true." 

"Explain  yourself,  Juan,  explain  yourself;  do  not 
talk  in  riddles.  What  did  the  child  prophesy?" 

"It  was  this  way,  your  Honor.  You  remember  I  car 
ried  her  in  my  arms  from  the  carriage  into  the 
house,  when  you  and  her  came  home  from  the  banquet 
last  night?" 

"I  certainly  do/'  assented  Governor  Lehumada ;  "also 
how  surprised  you  were  to  find  her  wideawake,  instead 
of  sound  asleep." 

"I  was,  your  Honor;  but  was  more  surprised  when 
she  whispered  in  my  ear,  and  said:  'Juan,  I  saw  the 
"Plunger  from  Kansas"  to-night/ 

"'Who  is  he ?  I  asked. 

"  'Have  you  not  heard  of  him,  Juan  ?' 

"  'No/  I  said.     'Does  he  plunge  in  a  Kansas  river  ?' 

"  'Oh,  how  stupid.  No,  he  does  not  plunge  at  all 
now.  He  made  a  big  plunge  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago — but  not  in  a  river — oh,  no,  not  in  a 
river.  You  are  a  funny  man,  Juan;  but  then,  you  do 
not  remember.' 

"  'Yes,  I  do  remember  much ;  but  not  anything  about 
this  man  who  plunged,  and  not  into  a  river,  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago.  Say,  chile,  you  is  dreaming, 
honey.  Come,  Juanita  will  put  the  precious  nina  in 
bed/  I  led  her  to  the  housekeeper's  room,  and  as  we 
went,  she  said: 

"  'You  are  funny,  Juan.  I  am  awake,  not  dreaming. 
You  will  see  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas"  to-morrow/ 


108        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"  'How  will  I  know  him  when  I  see  him  ?'  I  asked. 

"  'Oh,  he  will  come  to  this  house  to  see  Governor 
Lehumada  in  the  morning,  and  when  he  gets  here  he 
will  say:  "You  are  Juan,  the  Governor's  man?  Is 
his  Honor  in?"  and  when  you  say  he  is,  the  Tlunger' 
will  reply :  "I  came  to  see  him,  but  I  will  not  call  this 
day.  Please  hand  him  this,  with  my  compliments,"  and 
he  will  hand  you  a  package.' 

"Well,  he  did  come,  and  he  did  say  just  what  the 
child  prophesied,  and  he  did  give  me  this  package, 
your  Honor.  Take  it,  please.  I  am  afraid  of  it.  The 
devil  is  let  loose,  as  certain  as  fate.  And  I  think  this 
fluid  you  tell  about  in  your  great  book,  is  the  cause  of  so 
much  trouble." 

The  Governor  had  an  interested  and  amused  smile 
on  his  face  as  he  opened  the  package  handed  him  by 
his  man. 

"You  are  no  doubt  quite  right  about  the  book  I  wrote, 
and  the  public  demonstrations  and  proofs  we  have  given 
of  the  results  of  our  great  fluid  upon  matter  and  mind, 
being  the  cause  of  so  much  trouble.  On  that  score, 
Juan,  you  are  right.  But  there  have  been  no  evil  re 
sults,  and  there  will  be  none.  But  what  is  this  ?  Look, 
Juan,  look;  who  is  this  the  picture  of?  Don't  be 
mistaken,  man;  don't.  Be  sure  you  speak  correctly. 
Have  you  seen  the  face  before?" 

"My  sight  is  not  good,  your  Honor.  It's  failing," 
replied  the  frightened  man,  getting  further  away  from 
his  master,  out  of  pure  fear.  "My  sight  is  nigh  gone, 
your  Honor." 

"Can  it  be?  Can  it  be  the  face  of  the  one  I  loved? 
Of  the  one  I  now  love?" 


A  Confessed  Crime.  109 

"It  is  Helen  Hinckley's  picture,  papa,  taken  in  that 
life  long  gone  by,"  cried  Catalina,  grasping  the 
Governor's  hand. 

"Child,  how  do  you  know?    You  have  not  seen  it." 

"Oh,  I  do  know,  I  knew  last  night  he  was  going  to 
bring  it.  I  heard  him  say  so  at  your  lecture  last  night. 
He  remembers,  you  know.  He  is  trying  to  palliate  the 
wrongs  he  did  in  that  day  long  gone  by.  He  is  afraid 
that  retribution  will  overtake  him,  that  he  will  be  re 
duced  to  poverty." 

"Did  I  not  tell  you,  your  Honor,  that  she  was  no 
child.  That  she  is  a  ghost  a-talking  like  a  grown 
woman  philosopher,"  ventured  Juan,  edging  nearer  the 
Governor,  while  he  glared  at  Catalina  as  if  she  were  a 
spook. 

"Be  sensible,  Juan.  Be  sensible.  I  do  admit, 
however,  that  the  child  is  a  wonder  even  to  me;  that 
she  has  a  power  of  speech  that  would  be  the  envy  of 
many  a  collegian.  But  she  is  a  child  of  flesh  and  blood, 
nevertheless,  and  a  wonderful  creation,  too,"  concluded 
the  Governor. 

Catalina  put  an  end  to  further  remarks  by  him,  by 
saying :  "What  is  it,  dear  papa,  written  on  the  back  of 
the  picture?" 

The  Governor  turned  the  photograph  around,  and 
said :  "To  be  sure,  child,  there  is  something  written  on 
it.  It  is  very  dim.  One  moment — I  will  use  some  of 
our  restorative  liquid,  and  then  read  it." 

In  the  center  of  his  bedroom  stood  a  beautifully 
carved  rosewood  table,  on  which  was  a  magnificently 
beautiful  piece  of  sculpture.  It  represented  a  little 


110        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

girl,  about  eight  years  old,  distributing  the  olive  leaves 
from  a  branch  which  seemed  to  be  always  full.  The 
Governor  placed  his  hand  fondly  upon  the  head  of  the 
statue,  and  at  the  same  moment  held  the  back  of  the 
photograph  over  the  mouth  of  the  marble  representation 
of  the  child.  A  vapor  spread  over  the  pasteboard,  yel 
low  and  stained  by  time,  and  in  three  seconds,  every 
word  written  thereon  stood  out  in  bold  relief. 

He  read  aloud:  "My  baby  girl,  Helen  Hinckley, 
July  3d,  1898.  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Age,  eight." 

"The  same,  the  same,"  replied  the  Governor,  his  voice 
full  of  emotion.  "But  it  does  not  tell  me  enough! 
How  am  I  to  know  that  this  was  brought  here  by  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas/ '"' 

"On  the  paper  in  your  hand,"  said  Catalina,  "is  a 
message  from  the  'Plunger/  y' 

"She  is  no  child,  I  say,"  cried  Juan,  his  knees  fairly 
shaking  with  fright.  "With  your  Honor's  permission, 
I  will  go  out  of  the  room.  That  child  is  too  much  for 
me."  When  he  opened  the  door  to  leave,  Governor 
Lehumada  called: 

"Juan,  I  will  not  repeat  what  I  have  said  to  you,  twice 
before  within  the  last  few  minutes.  The  child  is  of 
flesh  and  blood  as  ourselves.  There  is  nothing  uncanny 
about  her;  so  I  command  you  to  remain  in  this  room 
until  I  dismiss  you." 

Catalina  looked  up  pathetically  into  the  face  of  fhe 
Governor,  and  said:  "Don't  scold  him,  papa;  he  does 
not  remember." 

The  Governor  pressed  her  hand,  and  kissed  her  rosy 
cheek  time  and  again.  "You  are  right,  sweet  child.  I 


A  Confessed  Crime.  Ill 

should  not  be  harsh  with  Juan.  He  does  not  remem 
ber,"  he  kindly  replied. 

"How  much  is  written,  papa  dear?" 

"To  be  sure,  child;  I  have  not  read  what  is  written 
on  the  paper.  This  is  a  strange  handwriting  also.  It 
reads : 

"  'The  photograph  was  given  to  me  by  the  father  of 
the  child,  Honorable  E.  Willard  Hinckley,  in  his  own 
home  in  Kansas  City,  August,  1898.  That  very  day  I 
got  more  than  one-half  million  dollars  from  him,  and 
gave  him  as  security  a  mortgage  on  fifty  thousand  cattle 
I  never  owned.  In  less  than  sixty  days  he  was  a 
bankrupt;  in  ninety  days  he  was  dead;  his  wife  and 
child  were  penniless  and  homeless.  Despite  the  long 
number  of  years  which  have  passed,  that  photograph  has 
been  preserved  in  a  way  nothing  short  of  a  miracle. 
Five  times  have  I  put  it  on  the  burning  coals;  three 
times  in  black,  muddy  water.  Out  of  each  it  came  un 
sullied.  Out  of  a  superstitious  fear  I  resolved  to 
keep  it,  to  preserve  and  guard  it  with  the  same  care  as 
one  would  an  ancient  heirloom  of  untold  value.  It  has 
ever  been  a  thorn  in  my  side.  In  that  life  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago — the  time  I  made  my  memorable 
plunge  in  cattle,  the  thought  that  I  could  not  get  rid 
of  the  picture  of  little  Helen,  drove  me  wild  with  rage. 
It  was  in  a  fit  of  frenzy,  brought  on  by  not  being  able  to 
destroy  the  picture,  that  made  me  take  my  life.  I  was 
then  in  South  America.  My  wife  had  perished  in  an 
epidemic  shortly  before,  and  no  one  knew  just  what 
destiny  befell  me,  "The  Plunger  from  Kansas,"  and  no 
one  but  those  whom  I  had  wronged,  cared.  Before  com- 


112        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

mitting  the  deed  that  sent  me  out  of  the  body  to  try  to 
find  relief,  I  sent  a  large  package  to  a  relative  in  Kan 
sas.  Amongst  the  things  it  contained  was  the  picture. 
Thus  it  was  preserved  in  the  great  iron  safe  in  which 
various  documents  and  family  curios  were  put  for 
safety.  On  my  return  to  earth  after  an  absence  of  half 
of  a  century  this  photograph  fell  to  my  part  of  the 
family  keepsakes.  And  while  in  that  life  I  never 
knew  its  history,  it  always  filled  me  with  fear  and  trem 
bling  when  I  saw  it.  At  the  age  of  thirty-five  I 
passed  again  out  of  the  physical  body — and  lay  in  a 
state  of  unconsciousness  for  fifty-six  years.  I  was  awak 
ened  by  a  voice  which  seemed  to  say:  "Helen  is  here. 
Have  you  no  desire  to  rectify  the  wrongs  you  did  her  in 
that  life  long  since  passed  away?"  I  did  not  under 
stand,  yet  I  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  live,  that  I  might 
be  better  and  wiser.  And  I  was  born  again.  Fortune 
favored  me  from  my  birth.  I  was  born  to  wealth,  and 
the  faculty  I  have  of  acquiring  it  is  a  wonder  to  many. 
I  am  now  twenty-eight  years  old,  the  same  age  I  was 
when  I  performed  the  feat  in  cattle-plunging.  I  bring 
you  this  photograph  with  the  strange  feeling  that  to 
you  it  belongs,  and  wEen  it  is  securely  in  your  hands, 
the  dreadful  nightmare  the  sight  of  it  gives  me,  will 
leave  me.  This  town  has  a  fascination  for  me,  of  which 
I  cannot  get  rid.  I  feel  nervous,  as  I  did  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago,  when  I  was  here  a  refugee,  whenever 
I  see  an  armed  officer  of  the  law,  or  a  strange  face  that 
gives  me  more  than  a  passing  glance.  Eetribution, 
you  say,  is  going  to  overtake  me.  If  the  law  can  get 
me,  handle  me;  but  to  use  a  slang  phrase  of  the  nine- 


A  Confessed  Crime.  113 

teenth  century,  I  will  close  by  saying:  "Catch  me  if 
you  can ;  but  I  think  I  am  too  swift  for  you  in  this  life, 
as  well  as  I  was  then." 

"  'I  am,  your  obedient  servant, 

"'THE  PLUNGER  FROM  KANSAS.'" 


114        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HARRIET    REPORTS   HERSELF   DEAD. 

THE  Governor  heaved  a  sigh  when  he  had  finished,  as 
if  a  burden  had  suddenly  dropped  from  his  shoulders. 

"How  long  since  he  gave  this  to  you,  Juan  ?" 

"About  fifteen  minutes  before  I  entered  this  room, 
your  Honor." 

"Did  it  take  you  fifteen  minutes  to  get  up  the  stairs  ?" 

"I  am  an  old  man,  your  Honor,  but  am  yet  spry. 
When  the  Plunger  left,  I  was  called  to  your  private 
study,  where  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  wished  to  speak 
to  me.  If  your  Honor  cares,  I  will  tell  you  everything 
he  said.  First,  he  sent  a  message  to  you,  which  I  have 
not  had  an  opportunity  until  this  moment  to  deliver. 
He  told  me  to  say  to  you,  that  though  the  President  has 
returned  to  consciousness  he  desires  to  be  left  alone  that 
he  may  write  a  full  account  of  his  past,  provided  he  re 
members/' 

"Very  well,  Juan,"  replied  the  Governor.  "I  will 
not  interrupt  his  Excellency.  And  as  for  you  telling 
me  all  the  scientist  said  to  you,  there  is  no  necessity  for 
you  telling  anything,  except  the  message  you  have  just 
delivered." 

"Since  the  'Plunger*  came,  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  tell 
you  that  Senor  Gonzales  cautioned  me  to  guard  you 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        115 

closely ;  to  allow  no  one  to  pass  into  the  house  without 
you  knowing  the  person  and  giving  your  consent.  That 
trouble  is  brewing  in  the  city,  and  your  life  would  be 
threatened/'  said  Juan. 

"It  is  certainly  kind  of  him  and  others  to  be  so  in 
terested  in  my  welfare.  I  am  least  concerned  about  my 
own  safety.  I  have  a  strange  presentiment  that  I  will 
not  be  harmed.  It  is  the  safety  of  the  people,  the  great 
multitude  around  us,  Juan,  about  whom  I  am  con 
cerned.  Eest  assured,  good  man,  I  will  protect  my 
people,  no  matter  what  the  cost." 

"But,  dear  papa,  the  people  would  not  be  able  to  pro 
tect  themselves,  if  you  were  gone.  Dear  papa,  do  not 
court  danger,"  cried  .Catalina. 

"That  child !  She  makes  me  afraid,  your  Honor.  I 
wish  she  were  more  like  my  own  little  granddaughter," 
said  Juan,  stepping  closer  to  the  marble  statue  and 
further  from  the  child. 

"Poor  man,"  said  Catalina,  "he  does  not  remember. 
He  is  afraid  of  me,  is  he  not,  papa  ?  How  strange  that 
anyone  is  afraid  of  a  little  girl." 

"It  is  strange,  dear ;  but  Juan  is  an  old  man  and  has 
never  taken  'Memory  Fluid,' "  replied  the  Governor. 
"Juan,  I  will  remain  in  my  room  with  Catalina.  Serve 
us  a  luncheon  here  promptly  at  twelve-thirty,  one  hour 
hence.  I  have  a  presentiment  that  I  will  be  seriously 
occupied  about  one  o'clock.  Tell  the  chef  to  prepare  a 
luncheon  for  two  persons,  in  a  manner  befitting  his  Ex 
cellency,  and  send  it  promptly  at  half -past  twelve  to  my 
private  studio." 

"Yes,  your  Honor,"  he  replied,  with  a  low  curtesy,  as 


116        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

he  left  the  room,  while  he  mentally  exclaimed:  "If  I 
am  not  a  fool,  he  will  be  seriously  occupied  at  one 
o'clock.  The  big  letter  I  have  is  to  be  delivered  to  him 
at  that  time.  I  wish  it  were  one  now ;  I  want  to  get  rid 
of  it.  It  seems  to  be  burning  a  hole  into  my  body.  I 
thought  I  would  'speriment  with  'Memory  Fluid'  this 
morning.  But  now  I  will  do  nothing  rash.  I  will  let 
the  past  rest,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned,  until  I  see  the 
result  of  the  present  unsettled  state  of  affairs.  In  the 
meantime  I  will  take  the  matter  of  being  a  subject  un 
der  grave  cosideration.  If  I  was  just  ten  years 
younger,  strangers  would  take  me  for  a  great  scientist. 
At  sixty  it  is  difficult  for  a  man  to  take  on  new  ideas." 
Juan  had  not  been  commenting  aloud,  consequently  was 
very  much  surprised  by  hearing  the  familiar  tones  of 
Julio  Murillo  saying:  "Don't  bother  about  your  age, 
Juan.  You  will  live  again,  if  you  desire ;  then  you  may 
be  a  very  learned  man." 

Juan  did  not  reply,  and  the  great  scientist's  assistant 
went  on. 

With  his  head  low  upon  his  breast,  frightened  and 
trembling,  Juan  hastened  to  the  kitchen. 

Governor  Lehumada  and  Catalina  were  reclining  in 
large,  comfortable  chairs  in  the  room  where  Juan  had 
left  them.  The  Governor  in  deep  meditation,  the  child 
thumping  upon  the  arm  of  the  chair  with  a  small 
stick,  and  singing  softly,  the  words,  "Be  it  ever  so  hum 
ble,  there  is  no  place  like  home ;"  and  the  exquisite  tone 
in  which  they  were  sung  caught  the  ear  of  the  Governor 
and  unknown  to  the  child,  he  watched  her  intently  until 
her  song  ceased. 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        117 

"Those  words,  Catalina,  sound  strangely  familiar  to 
me.  Is  it  a  new  song,  or  an  old  one  revived  ?"  he  asked. 

"It  is  an  old  song,  your  Honor,"  replied  the  child,  as 
she  curtesied  prettily  to  him,  in  the  same  manner  she 
did  the  day  she  came  to  the  State  House  to  sell  her 
flowers.  It  was  only  a  few  days  ago,  yet  it  seemed  to  the 
Governor  that  a  year  or  more  had  passed.  In  fact,  the 
child  had  grown  to  be  so  great  a  part  of  his  life  that 
it  seemed  incredulous  that  she  had  ever  lived  elsewhere. 

"Where  did  you  learn  it,  dear  ?"  asked  the  Governor. 

The  child  was  startled  at  first,  and  looked  frightened ; 
then,  throwing  out  her  arms,  she  rushed  to  the  Gov 
ernor,  crying:  "For  a  moment  I  was  the  Catalina  of 
long  ago.  I  was  unhappy.  I  had  ceased  to  remember 
myself  as  I  now  am.  I  thought  I  was  the  poor  Catalina 
of  disgrace  and  despair  whom  the  President  taught  to 
sing  that  song  so  long  ago.  He  sang  it  to  me  the  night 
he  left  for  'the  States/  in  the  other  life  that  I  knew 
him." 

"Was  he  kind  to  you,  dear  ?"  asked  the  Governor. 

"Indeed  he  was,  papa;  kinder  than  any  man  had 
been.  Sometimes  he  vexed  me  greatly.  I  did  not  un 
derstand  him,  and  he  was  a  constant  tease." 

"He  was  an  American  tourist  in  Mexico  then,  was  he 
not?"  asked  the  Governor. 

"He  was  an  American,  I  am  quite  sure ;  but  I  do  not 
think  he  was  in  Mexico  for  pleasure,"  replied  Catalina. 

"Possibly  not,"  commented  the  Governor;  "at  that 
time  many  Americans  were  coming  to  Mexico  to  pros 
pect.  He  no  doubt  was  a  mining  man." 

"I  do  not  think  so,"  confidently  replied  Catalina. 


118        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"No  ?  What  idea  have  you  then,  child  ?" 
"He  had  much  money  to  spend,  and  every  time  he 
came,  and  he  came  often,  he  gave  me  money ;  sometimes 
food  and  clothes.  My  mother  washed  for  several  people 
who  stayed  at  the  big  white  hotel  facing  the  principal 
plaza.  He  knew  this,  and  whenever  he  came  he  ques 
tioned  me  about  these  people — he  wanted  to  know  what 
I  saw  in  their  rooms.  I  always  went  with  my  mother  to 
help  her  carry  la  ropa  limpia  home.  I  had  a  sharp  eye 
and  usually  saw  everything  in  view  in  the  room,"  she  re 
plied. 

"I  cannot  understand,"  replied  the  Governor,  "why 
he  questioned  you  about  what  these  people  had  in  their 
rooms.  He  must  have  been  consumed  with  idle  curi 
osity/' 

"He  asked  me/'  continued  Catalina,  "if  I  could  bring 
him  the  'phiz*  of  a  certain  man,  who  with  his  wife  stayed 
at  the  hotel/' 

"The  phiz  f  What  did  he  mean,  child  ?" 
"I  did  not  know  then,  and  told  him  so,  and  he  said : 
'Well,  I  will  tell  you  what  I  mean  by  a  phiz/  He  took 
a  pencil  and  note  book  from  his  pocket,  made  a  few 
strokes  on  the  paper  and  handed  me  a  picture  of  myself. 
'Oh,  no,'  I  said,  on  seeing  what  he  meant,  'I  cannot 
make  pictures/  He  left  the  house,  saying  he  would  be 
back  in  one-half  of  an  hour.  He  came  as  he  promised, 
and  brought  a  little  black  box,  which  he  said  was  a 
camera.  He  showed  me  how  to  use  it,  and  I  consented 
to  take  it  with  me  the  next  time  we  went  to  carry  la 
ropa  to  the  hotel,  and  take  a  picture  of  the  man  and 
woman,  also  one  of  the  room.  I  did  so,  and  here  it  is. 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        119 

Also  my  phiz."  She  handed  the  pictures  to  the  Gov 
ernor,  and  while  looking  at  them  intently,  he  said : 

"Can  it  be  possible,  child,  that  this  is  the  picture  of 
the  great  counterfeiter  who  operated  in  Mexico  for  so 
many  years,  and  whom  I  delivered  into  the  hands  of  the 
United  States  authorities?  It  is,  it  is.  I  remember 
him  well.  And  this,  dear  child,  is  your  'phiz/  is  it? 
It  is  not  unlike  you  now.  But  you  were  older  then  than, 
at  present,  were  you  not?" 

"I  was  older.  I  am  eight  now,  and  I  was  eleven  when 
that  was  made." 

"Mr.  Mortingo,  the  President  of  the  great  United 
States  of  America,"  laughed  Governor  Lehumada,  "was 
a  secret  service  man  in  the  year  1898.  I  remember  him 
well.  He  was  a  jolly,  generous  chap,  and  on  coming  to 
Chihuahua  I  remember  the  remark  he  made  when  he 
first  called  upon  me.  He  said: 

"'Uncle  Sam  has  sent  me  down  here  to  catch  some 
birds  who  are  in  your  city.  They  are  molding  and  shov 
ing  the  queer/  " 

"Yes,"  said  Catalina,  "that  is  what  he  kept  telling 
me — that  they  were  'shoving  the  queer' " — to  which  the 
Governor  replied: 

"I  understood  very  little  English  at  that  time,  but  the 
official  interpreter  put  it  into  the  best  Spanish  he  could 
and  I  at  once  saw  the  point.  The  Americans  were  much 
given  to  the  use  of  slang  then,  much  of  which  had  a 
singular  fitness.  I  committed  the  phrase  to  memory  and 
never  forgot  it.  Let  me  see  the  other  picture;  the  in 
terior  of  the  room." 

The  child  handed  him  the  picture,  and  pointing  to  a 


120        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

certain  place  in  it,  said:  "There  is  the  lump  of  silver 
they  were  chopping  up  as  we  went  in.  In  the  kettle 
over  the  fire  is  lead." 

"Ha!  ha!  ha!  ha!"  laughed  the  Governor.  "That 
is  very  interesting  to  know.  I  wonder  what  will  be  the 
feelings  of  the  President,  should  he  remember  ?" 

"I  have  several  packages  of  spaghetti  he  gave  me  to 
use  on  feast  days.  He  showed  me  how  to  cook  it.  We 
learned  to  like  it  so  well,  he  declared  that  my  forefathers 
were  Italians.  And  sure  enough,  my  mother  began  to 
hunt  up  old  family  history,  and  she  discovered  that  her 
great-grandmother,  was  an  Italian  noblewoman,"  said 
Catalina. 

"Child,"  replied  the  Governor,  "you  have  always  been 
something  more  to  me  than  an  ordinary  child,  a  child 
of  entirely  plebeian  birth.  The  mere  fact  of  your 
wounded  pride  on  learning  that  you  were  born  out  of 
wedlock,  that  broke  your  heart  and  caused  your  un 
timely  demise,  proved  the  question  of  your  blood  to  be 
other  than  plebeian." 

"I  do  not  cry  any  more  now,  over  the  past,"  said  Cata 
lina,  "for  I  believe  in  the  righting  of  all  wrongs.  It  is 
worked  out  by  Nature  and  Nature's  help  to  man." 

"Come,  child,  my  little  philosopher,  kiss  your  papa; 
kiss  me  fondly.  A  strange  fear  is  crowding  over  me," 
he  said,  holding  out  his  arms  to  her. 

She  did  his  bidding  with  much  fervor,  and  whisper 
ing  in  his  ear,  said:  "Juan  is  coming  with  our 
luncheon.  I  will  open  the  door." 

The  faithful  old  man  entered  and  set  before  them  a 
dainty  meal,  and  stood  quietly  back  of  the  Governor's 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        121 

chair  while  he  ate  heartily  of  the  food.  The  meal  was 
quite  contrary  to  the  usual  customs  of  the  household 
— that  is,  without  any  conversation  and  with  much  dis 
patch. 

The  Governor  arose  when  he  had  finished,  looked  at 
his  watch,  and  said:  "It  is  now  one  o'clock.  Juan, 
remove  the  dishes,  and  take  the  child  to  the  house 
keeper." 

"Yes,  your  Honor,"  replied  Juan.  "Here  is  a  letter 
I  was  told  to  give  you  at  one  o'clock." 

The  Governor  took  the  letter,  and  kissing  the  child 
fondly,  said:  "Go  with  Juan,  dear,  and  tell  Juanita 
you  need  to  sleep." 

As  they  were  leaving  the  room,  she  said:  "I  am 
sleepy  and  will  take  a  nap — hut  will  show  you  the  way 
to  Marriet  Motuble,  when  you  go." 

"A  strange  child,"  mentally  commented  the  Governor, 
as  he  tore  the  envelope  open.  "As  if  I  intended  to  call 
upon  Miss  Motuble,  the  massive  giantess ;  the  aggressive 
senorita.  No,  no,  Catalina,  dear,  sweet  child,  you  are  a 
wonder  in  many  ways,  hut  this  time  you  are  mistaken. 
Dearest  Helen,  would  that  I  could  visit  you!  What, 
what  is  this?"  holdinr  tfie  letter  he  pulled  out  of  the 
envelope  at  arm's  length.  "What  is  it  ?" 

"I,  Marriet  Motuble,  nearing  the  end  of  my  third 
existence,"  he  read,  "wish  you  to  bear  in  mind  the  fol 
lowing  :  that  by  the  time  you  have  finished  reading  this 
note  which  I  have  ordered  to  be  left  with  you  at  one 
o'clock  this  very  day,  I  will  no  more  be  a  mortal.  By 
my  own  hands  will  the  great  chasm  which  separates  the 


122        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

physical  from  the  spiritual  of  man  be  reached.  Such 
an  act  has  been  recorded,  since  the  beginning  of  time, 
as  a  crime  against  the  great  Creator  as  well  as  against 
self.  Be  it  further  known  that  I,  Harriet  Motuble,  this 
moment  confess  to  my  many  faults,  the  greatest  of  all 
my  sins  to  my  mind  being  my  pretensions  to  having 
been  a  subject  of  'Memory  Fluid/  or  of  having  remem 
bered  a  previous  existence.  I  only  made  this  pretense 
to  ingratiate  myself  into  your  favor,  knowing  your  great 
belief  in  your  wonderful  'Memory  Fluid,'  to  make  you 
return  my  great  love.  My  labors  were  in  vain.  I  am, 
on  the  other  hand,  repulsive  to  you — so  I  this  day,  at 
one  o'clock,  make  an  end  of  this  earthly  existence." 

The  Governor  looked  at  his  watch.  "Ah!  he  ex 
claimed,  "it  is  one  o'clock  this  very  moment.  Can  it  be 
that  she  is  now  taking  this  step?  What  can  I  do  to 
prevent  this  mad  act?  I  will  send  her  a  message — 
where  does  she  live? — I  have  not  the  faintest  idea.  I 
will  have  Juan  inquire." 

Juan  appeared  almost  instantly  after  the  Governor's 
call. 

"Do  you  know  where  Miss  Motuble  lives?  The 
lady,  I  mean,  who  called  here  early  this  morning?" 
asked  the  Governor. 

"No,  sir,  I  do  not,"  replied  Juan,  eying  the  Governor 
curiously. 

"Find  out,  immediately.  If  necessary,  employ  a  de 
tective.  I  must  know  if  there  is  any  possible  way  of 
finding  out." 

"I  will  do  my  best,  your  Honor,  my  very  best,"  re- 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        123 

plied  Juan,  as  he  left  the  room,  shaking  his  head  dubi 
ously.  The  Governor  followed  him  to  the  door  engrossed 
with  his  own  thoughts. 

"Juan,"  he  called,  "here  one  moment.'* 

Juan  returned  and  looked  questioningly  into  his  face. 

"Go  to  my  private  study  at  once,  and  say  to  Senors 
Guillermo  Gonzales  and  Julio  Murillo  to  do  me  the 
favor  to  meet  me  here  this  moment,  if  they  have  the 
leisure.  With  dispatch,  Juan,  with  dispatch." 

"Yes,  your  Honor,"  replied  Juan,  as  he  hurried  away. 

Such  a  request  had  never  been  made  to  the  scientists 
before,  and  without  any  delay  they  hurried  to  the 
Governor,  curious  to  know  the  object  of  the  call. 

The  door  leading  into  the  room  was  wide  open,  and 
as  they  entered,  the  great  author  of  "Liquid  from  the 
Sun's  Bays"  stood  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  re-reading 
Marriet  Motuble's  letter.  He  greeted  them  warmly,  and 
without  any  delay  said :  "I  have  received  a  very  strange 
letter — no  stranger,  however,  than  the  person  by  whom 
it  is  written — the  aggressive  senorita  Marriet  Motuble." 

"Marriet  Motuble!"  exclaimed  both  men  in  a  low 
voice. 

"Your  surprise  cannot  possibly  be  greater  than  mine," 
replied  the  Governor.  "Please  reserve  your  surprise  for 
what  I  will  read  you.  In  fact,  I  am  inclined  to  believe 
most  anything,  if  what  I  have  read  of  this  long  letter  be 
true.  I  am  yet  in  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  the  re 
mainder  of  the  letter.  Be  seated,  friends,  and  I  will 
start  at  the  beginning." 

The  three  great  men  sat  down  in  a  circle,  and  when 
the  Governor  had  re-read  the  first  part  of  the  letter 


124        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

and  various  comments  had  been  made,  the  Governor  be 
gan  reading  where  he  had  previously  left  off : 

"I  repeat  that  I,  Harriet  Hotuble,  this  day  at  one 
o'clock  will  make  an  end  of  my  present  earthly  exist 
ence.  Farewell,  farewell,  my  adored  one,  farewell. 
Although  my  great  love  for  you  was  not  reciprocated  in 
this  life,  I  will  live  again  and  again.  In  the  next  life 
I  hope  to  have  sufficient  power  to  compel  love  to  grow  in 
your  heart,  in  your  great  noble  breast,  for  me — for  me 
alone.  > 

"My  life  is  not  lived  upon  the  highest  plane,  for  I 
long  for  revenge;  for  revenge  upon  the  one  you  adore. 
Her  name  is  upon  your  lips  at  this  moment,  and  you 
breathe  a  prayer  for  her  protection.  Beware !  if  I  have 
the  power,  her  downfall  will  come  shortly.  She  upon 
whom  I  wish  for  revenge  to  fall,  is  Helen  Hinckley. 
And  I  am  the  one  who  adores  you. 

"HARRIET   HOTUBLE." 

"That  is  not  all/'  said  the  Governor,  "but  before 
I  read  this,  which  is  entitled,  'A  Hatter  of  Business/ 
I  will  ask  you  what  I  would  better  do  in  regard  to 
the  case.  It  seems  so  perfectly  absurd  that  anyone 
would  kill  himself  for  such  a  foolish  reason.  I  cannot 
imagine  one  loving  another  for  whom  he  knew  the  other 
had  no  regard." 

"Love,"  replied  the  great  scientist,  "is  a  strange  thing. 
It  goes  out  toward  the  object  of  its  desire,  prompted  by 
no  other  motive,  it  would  seem,  than  to  do  the  will  of 
the  person  upon  whom  it  is  lavished.  Hiss  Hotuble 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        125 

has  my  sympathies,  most  certainly,  because  she  is 
in  error.  What  she  terms  love  is  a  misnomer.  How 
ever,  we  must  investigate.  If  self  destruction  has  not 
taken  place,  we  must  use  every  means  known  to  science 
to  prevent  it." 

Julio  Murillo  was  walking  back  and  forth,  as  was  his 
custom,  his  hands  clasped  tightly  behind  him,  intent 
upon  what  was  being  said,  and  forming  his  own  con 
clusions. 

"Have  you  no  suggestions  to  offer,  friend  Julio?" 
asked  the  Governor. 

"Yes,  your  Honor,"  he  replied,  facing  the  two  men; 
"I  would  suggest  that  you  do  not  let  this  matter  annoy 
you  in  the  least.  Miss  Motuble  will  never  take  her  own 
life!" 

"You  speak  so  positively,  I  am  encouraged.  But 
what  makes  you  think  so,  friend  Julio  ?" 

"The  reasons  he  will  give,  Miguey,  will  be  scientific 
ones,  and  you  can  rely  upon  them,"  said  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales,  as  he  embraced  Julio  and  said:  "Tell  us  upon 
what  grounds  you  base  your  statements." 

"I  am  at  this  moment,"  replied  Julio,  "en  rapport 
with  the  bewitching,  aggressive  senorita.  She  is  half 
reclining  in  a  beautiful  lounging-robe,  on  a  couch  so 
rich  that  Cleopatra  would  have  envied  it  in  her  days  of 
splendor.  Now  she  lifts  a  goblet  to  her  lips  and  cries : 
'The  drink  of  the  gods  !  What  a  joke  it  is  to  play  upon 
the  credulity  of  the  Governor.  What  the  result  will  be 
when  they  search  for  me  and  find  me  peacefully  taking 
my  siesta,  instead  of  being  no  more  a  mortal,  no  more  of 
clay,  I  cannot  say.  Ha !  ha !  If  I  cannot  secure  his 


126        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

love,  I  will  create  an  uproar.  I  will  be  prominent  yet 
before  I  die.  I  will  crush  the  life  out  of  all  the  scor 
pions  around  here.  I  will,  I  will !'  She  now  falls  over 
amongst  her  pillows  embraced  in  the  arms  of  sleep." 

"If  there  is  no  doubt  about  what  you  tell  me,  I  will 
certainly  hold  this  young  woman  accountable  for  her 
little  confidence  game.  I  have  sent  Juan  to  find  her 
address.  Should  he  succeed  in  finding  it  you  will  ac 
company  me  to  see  her,"  said  the  Governor. 

"You  must  go  in  disguise,  your  Honor,  as  a  phy 
sician;  we  three  will  go  disguised  thus.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  wait  for  the  return  of  your  man.  I  know 
perfectly  well  the  place  where  she  now  is,"  said  Julio. 

At  that  moment  Juan  entered  the  room,  panting  and 
frightened.  "Your  Honor,"  he  cried,  "I  employed  a 
detective;  he  has  this  moment  returned  to  say  that 
Miss  Motuble  is  dead  by  her  own  hands.  Her  body  was 
laid,  less  than  an  hour  ago,  in  the  old  private  family 
vault  of  the  Motubles." 

"Everyone  knows  the  place.  It  was  there  the  child 
Catalina  Martinet  was  buried,"  cried  the  Governor. 

"The  detective's  statements  are  false,"  said  Julio 
Murillo.  "I  mean  he  has  been  misinformed.  Someone 
may  have  been  placed  in  the  Motuble  tomb,  under  the 
name  of  Marriet  Motuble,  but  the  real  person  is  alive 
and  is  as  strong  to-day  as  anyone  of  us  three." 

"Juan,"  asked  the  Governor,  "are  you  sure  no  mis 
take  has  been  made  by  you  in  repeating  this  message  ?" 

"I  am  sure,  your  Honor,  and  I  am  sorry  Senor  Julio 
thinks  she  is  not  dead,"  said  Juan. 

"How  inhuman !"  exclaimed  Guillermo  Gonzales. 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.        127 

"Ma}rbe  so,  your  honor;  but  women  who  make  men 
afraid  should  die." 

"You  have  strange  ideas  of  getting  rid  of  annoy 
ances,"  said  the  Governor,  trying  to  hide  a  smile.  "I 
will  ring  for  you,  Juan,  when  I  need  you  again." 

Juan  was  getting  intensely  interested  in  the  affair  on 
hand,  and  was  secretly  congratulating  himself  that  he 
would  hear  everything;  consequently,  was  very  much 
crestfallen  when  the  Governor  very  politely  invited  him 
to  leave  the  room. 

"That  part  of  Miss  Motuble's  letter  which  relates  to 
the  deception  she  practiced  by  pretending  to  have  been 
a  subject  of  'Memory  Fluid,'  is  false  also ;  there  was  no 
pretension  about  it.  She  actually  came  disguised  as  a 
drunken  man,  and  entreated  me  to  give  her  'Memory 
Fluid/  Her  figure  was  a  splendid  disguise,  but  her 
actions  and  voice  betrayed  her  sex  to  me.  By  no  sign 
from  me  did  she  ever  know  that  I  had  penetrated  her 
disguise.  She  certainly  is  a  strange  mixture  of  God's 
creation — a  strange  mixture,"  concluded  Julio. 

"I  know  of  no  case  as  interesting  as  hers,  unless  it 
is  the  case  of  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas,' "  said  the 
scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"You  are  correct,  my  friend,"  said  the  Governor. 
"As  soon  as  I  finish  reading  Miss  Motuble's  letter,  or  I 
would  better  say  letters — this  one  is  entitled,  'A  Matter 
of  Business' — we  will  disguise  ourselves  as  doctors  and 
ferret  out  the  mystery  of  the  tomb,  after  we  convince 
ourselves  that  she  is  alive.  She  used  a  different  tone  in 
writing  this : 


128        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"  'To  His  EXCELLENCY,  GOVERNOR  or  CHIHUAHUA  : 
Be  it  known  that  on  the  day  which  shall  from  hence 
forth  be  known  as  "Memory  Fluid  Day/'  that  I, 
Marriet  Motuble,  being  an  attentive  listener  to  the  lec 
ture,  and  a  guest  at  the  banquet,  where  all  I  saw  and 
heard  consumed  me  with  interest,  and  where  the  follow 
ing  plot  I  overheard,  which  I  now  relate  to  put  you  on 
your  guard — that  I  may  show  to  you  my  great  appre 
ciation  of  your  wonderful  discoveries  and  the  great  love 
and  esteem  in  which  I  hold  the  lives  of  my  fellowman. 
The  words  that  first  attracted  my  attention  were  spoken 
by  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  well  known  to 
yourself,  to  a  man  who  wears  the  garb  of  a  priest, 
Father  Hernandez  by  name.  He  said :  "The  nefarious 
works  of  this  man  Lehumada,  a  man  of  purely  Mexican 
origin,  whom  we  elected  to  fill  the  highest  office  in  the 
hands  of  the  people  of  Chihuahua,  has  betrayed  the  con 
fidence  imposed  upon  him  to  such  an  extent  that  it  now 
behooves  us  to  put  our  shoulders  to  the  wheel  and  stop 
the  downward  run  he  is  hurrying  us  to  perdition.  The 
time-honored  institutions  and  customs  of  our  once  great 
and  beloved  Mexico  have  fast  disappeared.  And  now 
it  is  left  to  one  of  our  own  race;  one  of  our  own  dear 
Mexican  blood,  to  pretend  to  discover  a  liquid  which  will 
restore  and  perpetuate  memory  to  be  used  to  get  evi 
dence  of  crimes  that  poor  souls  are  said  to  have  com 
mitted  in  lives  gone  by,  that  they  may  now  be  brought 
to  justice.  There  is  no  telling  how  far  these  accursed 
doings  will  be  carried.  It  will  not  stop  at  the  trial  of 
'The  Plunger  from  Kansas/ "  The  priest  replied : 
"Your  story  I  will  spread  far  and  wide.  I  will  raise  an 


Marriet  Reports  Herself  Dead.       129 

army  from  amongst  the  priests,  and  our  followers  and 
our  sympathizers.  Money  will  buy  a  great  following 
who  at  present  are  seeking  work,  and  have  no  scruples. 
To  these  people  I  will  paint  the  intentions  of  the  pres 
ent  makers  of  'Memory  Fluid/  as  black  as  midnight. 
I  will  have  our  own  priesthood  falling  by  countless  thou 
sands  into  a  yawning  abyss — filled  with  the  blood  of  our 
own  downtrodden.  Complete  organization  is  absolutely 
necessary.  That  can  be  done  in  this  city  within  twenty- 
four  hours.  Through  our  secret  code  we  will  advise 
our  sympathizers  over  the  entire  continent  of  America 
of  our  intention.  They  will  be  ready  to  come  to  our 
assistance  at  the  moment  of  our  call.  The  first  step  we 
will  take  in  this  city  to-morrow  night,  when  we  hope  to 
arrest  and  put  to  death  the  three  instigators  of  this 
great  evil  that  seems  to  be  spreading  over  the  entire  con 
tinent.  This  is  the  beginning  of  a  long  and  bloody  war 
which  will  be  waged  between  Free  Thought  and  the 
dogmatic  teachings  of  the  churches.  Particularly  do  I 
hope  for  the  re-establishment  of  the  ancient  and  time- 
honored  institution  of  our  long-lost  Mexico."  The  two 
men  arose,  embraced  each  other,  and  hurried  away  to 
spread  their  evil  intentions  amongst  their  followers  pres 
ent.  If  this  information  proves  a  warning  to  you,  I  will 
be  greatly  repaid  for  the  slight  service  I  have  rendered 
you.  May  the  great  Power  above  guide  you  safely 
through  the  conflict  about  to  be  waged  between  Scien 
tific  Thought  and  those  wedded  to  the  creeds  of  the 
churches — to  the  dogmatic  teachings  of  every  denomina 
tion  and  society  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

"  'Your  aider  and  abettor  in  all  your  scientific  invest! - 


130        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

gations  in  this  life  and  those  other  lives  we  will  live 
together  in  the  future,  yours,  through  all  time, 

"'HARRIET  MOTUBLE.' 

"A  strange  woman,"  said  Governor  Lehumada,  as  he 
folded  the  letter  and  placed  it  within  the  envelope. 

"There  may  be  much  truth  in  her  statements.  We 
have  received  many  warnings  since  nine  o'clock  this 
morning,  about  this  same  affair.  I  hope  we  may  be 
able  to  avert  it,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"It  cannot  be  done/'  came  the  emphatic  prophecy  of 
Julio  Murillo.  "So  I  beg  of  you  to  waste  no  time. 
Trouble  is  gathering  thick  and  fast  on  every  side.  Let 
us  prepare  our  disguise  at  once  and  hasten  to  the  tomb 
and  to  Harriet  Hotuble." 

The  two  men  left  the  Governor  to  prepare  a  disguise, 
and  Juan  entered  to  assist  him. 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  131 


CHAPTER  X. 

A   DAY   OF   CONUNDRUMS. 

IN  thirty  minutes  the  Governor  and  his  two  scientific 
friends  disguised  as  physicians,  stepped  into  a  private 
cab  propelled  by  air. 

Julio  Murillo  gave  directions  to  the  motorman  to  take 
them  through  the  streets  slowly  to  the  Mexican  Annex. 

The  cab  was  circular  in  form  and  around  it  extended 
a  glass  window  which  magnified  everything  seen  through 
it  from  the  interior  of  the  cab,  while  from  the  street 
nothing  in  the  interior  of  the  cab  could  be  seen. 

Governor  Lehumada  leaned  back  amongst  the  com 
fortable  cushions,  by  the  side  of  Senor  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales,  and  engaged  him  in  conversation,  the  coach  glid 
ing  noiselessly  through  the  street  the  while. 

Julio  Murillo  sat  upon  the  high  observation  stool  in 
the  center  of  the  circular  cab,  where  he  saw,  through  the 
window  near  the  top  of  the  cab,  everything  in  the  streets 
through  which  they  passed. 

Occasionally  he  gave  directions  to  the  motorman,  who 
was  comfortably  seated  in  the  center  of  the  top  of  the 
cab,  through  the  speaking  tube,  to  turn  in  this  direc 
tion  and  that  direction.  Three-quarters  of  an  hour  had 
passed  since  they  left  the  Governor's  mansion,  and  still 


132        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

they  were  winding  in  and  out  from  one  street  to  the 
other,  and  yet  they  seemed  to  be  no  nearer  than  they 
were  at  first  to  the  Mexican  Annex. 

The  two  men  talked  unceasingly  and  were  not  in  the 
least  disturbed  by  not  reaching  their  destination. 
They  had  never  known  Julio  to  do  an  act  without  being 
able  to  give  a  good  reason  for  it,  and  now  they  did  not 
question  his  object  in  taking  them  through  various 
streets,  back  and  forth,  instead  of  directly  to  the  hotel. 

The  cab  came  to  a  stop  in  front  of  a  large  drug  store. 

It  being  the  physician's  cab  belonging  to  the  Gov 
ernor's  mansion,  and  on  account  of  its  peculiar  con 
struction,  it  attracted  much  attention  wherever  it  went. 

The  motorman  descended  from  his  conspicuous  seat 
and  entered  the  drug  store  to  fulfill  the  orders  of  Julio 
Murillo. 

"Friends,"  said  Julio,  when  their  cab  had  come  to  a 
standstill,  "do  me  the  favor  to  watch  closely  out  of  the 
window.  A  curious  little  play  is  going  to  take  place  in 
front  of  this  store  within  a  few  minutes." 

"With  much  pleasure,  friend  Julio,"  replied  the  Gov 
ernor,  as  the  two  men  arose  to  look  out  of  the  window. 

"The  All- Wise  has  been  kind  to  you,  my  compatriot, 
to  give  you  the  power  to  read  the  thoughts  and  know  of 
the  actions  of  those  around  you,"  said  Senor  Guillermo 
Gonzales. 

"I  am  grateful,  my  friend,  for  all  the  progress  I  have 
made.  Get  in  tune  with  Nature  and  her  mysteries  you 
can  read.  The  divinity  of  Her  force,  Her  influence,  can 
be  felt  by  all,"  replied  Julio  seriously. 

"What  a  strange  looking  man  is  now  entering  the 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  133 

drug  store — that  big  swaggerer  there  to  the  right/'  said 
the  Governor. 

"Yes,  to  be  sure,"  said  Senor  Gonzales.  "He  makes 
me  think  of  one  of  those  ancient  Northmen  sailors,  or 
a  big,  raw-boned  Irishman  of  more  recent  days." 

"What  a  strange  gait  he  has,"  remarked  the  Gov 
ernor;  "there  is  something  familiar  about  the  fellow. 
I  wonder  if  I  have  met  him  before." 

"Yes,  your  Honor,  you  have  met  her  before,"  said 
Julio. 

"Her?"  exclaimed  his  companions  in  a  breath. 
"Her?" 

"Yes,  you  both  have  met  her.  That  person  is  no 
other  than  Senorita  Harriet  Motuble,  the  lovesick 
maiden  of  less  than  two  hours  ago,  who  claimed  to  have 
committed  suicide  because  her  great  love  for  you  was 
not  reciprocated.  Watch  her  closely.  I  will  put  on  the 
sound  condenser;  then  we  can  both  see  and  hear  what 
is  going  on,"  said  Julio. 

"Who  is  the  man,  with  whom  she  is  talking?"  asked 
the  Governor. 

"Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  your  Honor," 
quietly  answered  Julio. 

"He  also  is  in  disguise,  then.  What  can  be  the  mean 
ing  of  all  of  this,  Julio  ?"  questioned  the  Governor. 

"Your  questions  can  be  answered  more  definitely 
when  I  turn  the  lever  of  the  sound  condenser,"  said 
Julio.  "Every  five  minutes  one  of  the  tubes  is  filled 
and  ready,  when  the  lever  is  turned,  to  repeat  every  word 
spoken  within  ten  feet  from  the  center  of  its  radius. 
The  five  minutes  is  up.  Watch  the  two  while  we  listen, 


134        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

and  we  can  more  fully  comprehend  the  meaning  of 
their  conversation." 

Julio  turned  the  lever,  and  the  three  scientists  heard 
the  following  conversation,  Harriet  Motuble  being  the 
first  to  speak. 

"It  is  pathetic  to  know  that  one  so  young  and  so  fair 
would  take  her  own  life.  She  is  the  young  woman,  I 
believe,  who  is  private  secretary  to  the  well-known 
Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  is  she  not?"  asked 
Marriet  Motuble,  as  she  puffed  a  cigar  in  regular  man 
fashion. 

"If  the  person  is  Marriet  Motuble,"  said  Governor 
Lehumada,  with  much  concern,  "why  does  she  ask  such 
a  question?" 

"It  is  a  ruse,"  replied  Julio,  "to  find  out  something 
about  the  young  lady  to  whom  she  refers.  She  is  ex 
ceedingly  fond  of  Miss  Hinckley,  and  at  the  same  time 
insanely  jealous  of  her.  What  is  it  her  companion  is 
replying?"  concluded  Julio. 

"No  doubt  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir  would 
be  glad  if  such  were  the  case.  He  believes,  I  under 
stand,  that  this  young  woman  will  be  the  means  of  much 
domestic  unhappiness  and  outside  trouble,  unless  that 
by  means  other  than  his  own  she  can  be  induced  to 
leave  his  employment.  This  blue-blooded  Mexican  is  a 
royal  friend  of  mine,  and  I  will  take  it  upon  myself 
to  offer  one  thousand  dollars  in  gold  as  my  friend 
would  say.  You  know  he  has  never  yet  acknowl 
edged  Mexico  to  be  a  part  of  the  States.  Yes,  I  will 
pay  one  thousand  dollars  in  gold  to  the  person  who  will 
induce  Miss  Hinckley  to  leave  my  friend's  employment." 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  135 

"Indeed,"  replied  Harriet  Motuble.  "I  wish  I  knew 
the  charming  lady.  A  fellow  could  not  easier  make  one 
thousand  in  gold,  and  perhaps  get  the  lady  as  well. 
Say,  sir,  it's  settled,  I'll  get  her  away.  Have  this  cigar, 
and  let's  go  in  and  have  a  large  glass  of  the  old  popu 
lar  drink  of  the  ancient  Mexicans  to  celebrate  the 
blue  blood,  the  royal  Mexican  blood,  of  your  friend 
Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,"  said  the  aggres 
sive  senorita. 

"Improbable  it  seems  to  me  that  the  person  can  be 
a  woman,"  said  the  Governor. 

"Hard  to  believe,  yet  as  true  as  fate,"  replied 
Julio. 

"Thanks,"  replied  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falo- 
mir,  taking  the  proffered  cigar;  "with  your  permis- 
'  sion,  we  will  drink  to  the  royal  blood  of  my  friend 
a  little  later." 

"As  you  please,"  replied  Marriet  Motuble. 

''First,"  said  her  companion,  "let  me  introduce  my 
self.  Jose  M.  Martinez — my  card,  please.  Of  Mexican 
extraction  also,  you  see." 

"Ah,  I  see  the  connection — a  sympathizer.  Well, 
well,  this  is  royal  blood  too,  and  mighty  glad  I  am  to 
know  you,  Senor  Martinez.  Let  me  present  myself. 
Leo  Leander — my  card,  please.  I  also  pride  myself  upon 
my  lineage.  I  am  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  Northmen. 
But  it  is  not  family  genealogy  we  are  here  to  discuss," 
replied  Leo  Leander. 

"You  are  right,  Senor  Leander;  yet  it  fills  one's 
bosom  with  pride  to  be  able  to  trace  blood."  Getting 
very  close  to  him,  he  continued:  "I'm  sure  your 


136        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

sympathies  are  with  nay  friend  in  the  uprising  in  which 
he  is  about  to  be  the  instigator.  Can  I  trust  you? 
You  seem  to  be  such  a  royal  fellow." 

"I  do  not  quite  comprehend  you,  my  friend;  but  if 
you  or  your  friend  are  in  trouble,  command  me.  I 
am  your  most  obedient  servant,"  said  the  pretender, 
Leo  Leander. 

"I  am  content,"  said  Mr.  Martinez ;  "  'muy  contento' 
as  my  ancestors  would  have  expressed  it.  Now,  friend 
Leander,  this  is  the  point  I  wish  to  make.  Miss  Hinck- 
ley  must  be  gotten  away  from  the  house  of  my  friend 
before  nightfall.  She  knows  too  much  about  his  rever 
ence  for  the  ancient  customs  of  his  long-lost  Mexico. 
She  must  be  gotten  rid  of — do  you  comprehend  ?" 

"I  grasp  your  meaning,  I  am  quite  sure.  Leave  her 
to  me ;  I  will  put  her  beyond  the  sight  of  mortal  eye." 

Mr.  Martinez  shook  his  hand  warmly,  and  said : 
"There  is  one  thing  more,  then  we  will  drink  the  health 
of  my  royal-blooded  friend,  who,  I  hope,  soon  will  be 
your  friend  also.  The  author  of  'Liquid  from  the  Sun's 
Rays' — that  accursed  fluid  which  they  claim  restores 
memory — and  his  would-be  scientific  associates,  must  be 
killed  before  morning.  We  are  determined  to  have  a 
revolution.  We  are  determined  to  rend  this  part  of 
the  country,  so  long  known  as  Mexico,  from  the 
rule  of  the  United  States  of  America.  We  are  assured 
now  of  a  following  of  ten  thousand  from  each  State 
that  was  at  one  time  a  part  of  Old  Mexico,  or  the  Re 
public  of  Mexico.  You  know  the  history,  do  you  not,  of 
that  long-suffering,  brave  and  downtrodden  people? 
We  wish  to  sever  our  relations  from  the  people  who 
united  us  to  them  without  our  consent." 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  137 

"We  certainly  do,"  said  a  voluptuous  man  who  had 
been  standing  close  by,  an  attentive  listener. 

"Ah,  old  fellow,  here  you  are,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Mar 
tinez,  in  true  democratic  style.  "On  time  to  the 
second.  Let  me  present  you  to  my  friend  Senor  Leo 
Leander,  Don  Enrique  Arellano/'  The  two  men  shook 
hands  cordially,  and  Don  Enrique  Arellano  embraced 
him  after  the  fashion  of  the  nineteenth  century  Mexi 
cans. 

The  three  men  in  the  cab  turned  from  the  scene  in 
front  of  them,  and  gazed  in  astonishment  at  each  other. 

"What  deception  they  are  playing,"  said  Julio. 
"The  fellow  introduced  as  Don  Enrique  Arellano  is 
none  other  than  the  priest,  Father  Hernandez. 

"Is  it  possible?"  cried  the  Governor. 

"This  is  a  strange  affair,"  said  Senor  Guillenno 
Gonzales ;  "a  strange  affair." 

"The  priest  is  talking,"  said  Julio.  We  must  not  lose 
a  word  he  says." 

The  three  men  again  turned  their  faces  toward  the 
street,  and  listened  intently  to  what  was  being  said: 

"I  caught  my  friend's  last  remarks  as  I  came  up," 
said  the  man  introduced  as  Don  Enrique  Arellano. 
"We  must  sever  the  existing  relations  between  the  coun 
try  known  as  the  Eepublic  of  Mexico,  long,  long  years 
ago,  and  the  United  States  of  America.  We  are  de 
termined  to  re-establish  the  Eepublic." 

"And  how  are  the  latest  reports?"  asked  Mr.  Mar 
tinez. 

"I  have  been  assured  the  support  of  every  bishop 
in  the  states  that  once  were  a  part  of  long-lost 
Mexico." 


138        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Our  power — I  mean  the  power  of  the  Church,  as 
wielded  in  the  nineteeth-century  Mexico,  is  only  known 
by  reading  history,"  said  Mr.  Martinez. 

"I  see  where  you  are  correct,  my  friends.  The  rela 
tions  must  be  severed.  The  civil  law  must  be  revised. 
It  is  sad,  sad,  sad  to  see  the  poor,  downtrodden  priests, 
poorly  fed,  poorly  dressed — those,  I  mean,  who  have  to 
depend  upon  the  church  only  for  support.  They  strug 
gle  bravely  on  and  uncomplainingly,  hoping  and  pray 
ing,  no  doubt,  to  regain  the  long-lost  power  they  had 
over  the  people  during  the  life  of  Pope  Leo  XIII." 

"Quite  true;"  replied  Don  Enrique  Arellano,  wiping 
a  tear  from  his  eye,  "quite  true.  Then  the  priests  were 
clad  in  purple  and  fine  linen ;  then  they  received  fifteen 
dollars  for  every  marriage  ceremony  they  performed — 
now  only  one;  then  the  many  feast  days  brought  them 
thousands  of  centavos',  now  they  are  so  few  that  the 
increase  in  the  church  treasury  is  hardly  perceptible. 
The  people  are  too  much  enlightened  in  the  ways  of  the 
evil  world,  and  not  enough  in  the  ways  of  the  church,  or, 
I  would  better  say,  this  Government  does  not  teach  them 
submission — there  is  no  head.  Each  goes  his  own  way ; 
each  thinks  for  himself;  hence  the  priest  has  lost  his 
power,  and  I  say  it  must  be  recovered,"  vigorously 
concluded  Mr.  Arellano. 

"Let  us  drink  to  the  health  and  wealth  of  the  priests, 
and  to  the  recovery  of  your  long-lost  Mexico,"  said 
Leo  Leander,  evidently  hoping  to  spring  something 
new  on  them. 

The  three  actors  passed  into  a  bar  near  by,  out  of 
sight  of  the  three  scientists  in  the  cab. 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  139 

"So  much  has  transpired  since  we  stopped  in  front  of 
this  drug  store,  it  seems  to  me  that  it  must  be  night," 
said  the  Governor. 

"On  the  other  hand,"  replied  Julio,  "the  time  is  only 
ten  minutes  later  than  the  moment  we  arrived  here." 

"Shall  we  proceed  to  the  tomb  of  Harriet  Motuble  ?" 
asked  Senor  Guillenno  Gonzales,  with  a  smile. 

"When  the  two  return,"  said  Julio,  "we  will  get  some 
more  information;  then  we  will  start." 

<fYou  say  we  will  start.  Will  something  prevent  us 
from  reaching  the  place,  Julio?"  quietly  asked  the 
Governor. 

"We  will  reach  the  tomb,  but  not  for  several  hours 
yet,"  he  replied;  "and  now  I  must  have  the  motorman 
return  to  his  seat.  We  must  be  prepared  to  follow  wher 
ever  they  go." 

The  exquisite  notes  of  a  bird  close  by,  went  out  upon 
the  air.  People  passing  stopped  and  looked  for  the 
bird  in  every  direction.  Failing  to  see  it  they  hurried 
on.  At  the  first  sound  the  motorman  came  out  of  the 
store  carrying  a  large  package,  which  he  handed  to 
Julio,  and  without  a  word  climbed  to  his  seat  on  the 
top  of  the  cab. 

"That  was  your  secret  signal,  was  it  not,  Julio,  which 
you  told  me  you  had  invented?"  asked  Senor  Guil- 
lermo  Gonzales. 

"It  was,  my  friend,  and  it  works  to  perfection.  I 
will  explain  the  principle  of  it  later.  See !  the  trio  are 
coming  from  the  bar,"  replied  Julio. 

Once  more  they  were  intent  in  their  thoughts  and 
looks  upon  the  three  strange  people  in  disguise. 


140        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Leo  Leander  said,  evidently  continuing  a  sentence 
she  had  begun  at  the  bar:  "Oh,  yes,  I  know  quite  well 
the  way  to  the  Motuble  tomb.  After  her  tragic  death 
was  noised  about,  I  met  a  friend  of  hers  to  whom  I  ex 
pressed  a  desire  to  see  the  old  tomb  and  to  know  its 
strange  history.  He  told  me  the  story  of  the  Harriet 
Motuble  who  lived  in  a  life  gone  by,  also  the  pathetic  tale 
of  the  child,  Catalina  Martinet,  for  whom  the  tomb  was 
built.  I  expressed  a  desire  to  see  it.  He  gave  me  this  key, 
which  was  presented  to  him  by  the  deceased  senorita, 
who  begged  him,  if  it  fell  to  her  lot  to  pass  away  first,  to 
visit  the  tomb  often,  and  grant  the  same  privilege  to  his 
friends.  Curious  to  see  the  tomb,  I  hurried  out  to  the 
city  of  the  dead,  and  had  just  arrived,  when  two  men 
clothed  in  black,  and  carrying  a  large,  heavy  metallic 
coffin,  entered  the  tomb,  deposited  their  burden  and  has 
tened  away.  No  one  was  present  but  myself,  and  they 
evidently  took  me  for  an  officer  of  law.  For  they  had 
not  gone  very  far  when  one  of  the  miserable  cowards 
came  running  back;  he  handed  me  a  paper  and  re 
quested  me  to  sign  it.  At  first  I  refused ;  but  the  poor 
devil  insisted  that  I  was  the  proper  person  to  sign  it, 
and  if  I  refused  they  would  be  imprisoned  on  their  re 
turn  without  my  name.  So  intent  were  they,  that  I 
was  worked  up  to  the  belief  that  I  was  the  person  who 
should  sign  it,  and  I  mustered  up  courage  and  wrote  the 
first  name  that  came  to  me,  other  than  my  own." 

"And  what  name  was  it?"  asked  Mr.  Martinez. 

"Julio  Murillo,"  calmly  replied  Leo  Leander. 

The  three  men  in  the  cab  threw  up  their  hands  in 
astonishment,  and  Mr.  Arellano  cried:  "Jesus  and 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  141 

Marie !  Jesus  and  Marie !  You  saved  the  poor  wretches 
from  present  trouble,  but  should  this  act  of  yours  be 
come  known,  which  will  be  sure  to  happen,  your  life 
will  be  in  danger." 

"I  am  fearless.  You  cannot  frighten  me,  friends, 
with  the  law  as  practiced  in  Chihuahua,"  said  Leo  Lean- 
der.  "If  it  is  now  your  pleasure,  we  will  visit  the  tomb, 
gentlemen,"  he  concluded. 

"A  brave  fellow,"  said  Mr.  Arellano,  "a  brave  fellow. 
You  will  lead  and  thousands  will  follow.  Ah,  friend 
Martinez,  we  are  to  be  congratulated  on  having  this 
great  leader  on  our  side.  Lead;  we  will  follow  to  the 
tomb.  The  work  we  desire  to  have  accomplished  to 
night  is  in  the  hands  of  the  proper  person." 

"You  will  please  accompany  me  to  the  Mexican  An 
nex;  there  we  will  take  a  cab — a  physician's  cab,  like 
that  one  there,  if  one  can  be  secured.  Come,  gentlemen, 
we  must  be  off,  or  the  bloodhounds  will  be  on  our  scent," 
concluded  Leo  Leander,  walking  off  at  a  brisk  pace. 

At  the  same  moment  the  Governor's  cab  started  on 
at  a  rapid  rate  after  them. 

"No  scientific  investigation  ever  puzzled  me  more 
than  this  present  affair,"  said  the  Governor. 

"Nor  me,  friend  Miguey.  These  disturbers  of  the 
law  must  be  placed  under  arrest  before  sunset,"  said 
Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"True,"  replied  Julio;  "they  must  be  put  under 
arrest,  but  not  until  we  see  what  happens  at  the  tomb." 

"Order  ten  policemen  to  come  to  the  tomb  at  once. 
Say  for  them  to  come  in  disguise  and  quietly,"  said 
the  Governor. 


142        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"You  do  the  proper  thing  at  the  proper  time  always, 
Miguey.  We  must  get  their  entire  story,  then  capture 
them.  This  bloody  war  they  are  trying  to  raise  will  be 
nipped  in  the  bud/'  concluded  Senor  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales. 

"Would  it  not  be  well  for  us  to  reach  the  tomb  before 
them,  examine  it  thoroughly,  and  be  on  the  eve  of  leav 
ing  at  their  arrival?"  asked  the  Governor,  of  Julio. 

"Our  best  policy,  I  believe,  is  to  follow  them  at  a 
slow  pace,  and  be  alighting  from  the  cab  as  they  enter 
the  tomb.  The  law  is  on  our  side,  and  if  we  so  desire, 
the  arrest  can  be  made  inside  the  historic  tomb," 
replied  Julio  Murillo. 

"We  will  not  be  connected  outwardly  with  the  arrest. 
On  coming  out  of  the  tomb  the  police  must  know  that 
the  time  to  make  the  arrest  has  arrived/'  replied  the 
Governor. 

"Here  is  the  Mexican  Annex,  gentlemen,"  said  Julio 
Murillo,  looking  out  of  the  window,  "and  our  disguised 
friends  are  coming.  They  are  more  than  a  block  away 
yet.  We  will  move  a  block  to  the  side  to  avert  sus 
picion,  from  which  point  we  can  see  them  quite  as  well." 

The  cab  moved  slowly  and  noiselessly  away  and  soon 
disappeared  amongst  a  hundred  or  more. 

The  great  hotel  was  filled  to  overflowing,  and  the  big 
crowd  of  fashionably-dressed  people  surged  back  and 
forth  through  the  entrances. 

Julio's  trained  eye  scanned  every  face,  and  now  and 
then  he  uttered  low  exclamations  of  surprise.  His  two 
companions  asked  no  questions,  but  arose  from  their 
seat  and  remained  standing  by  his  side,  that  they  too 
might  see  what  was  going  on  around  them. 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  143 

"Ah,  there  is  J.  Ecarg,  and  Niksab,  and  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Grange,  out  on  a  dress  parade.  I  wonder  if  they 
are  staying  in  the  Mexican  Annex  now,  or  are  they  just 
hanging  around  trying  to  impress  strangers  with  their 
importance,"  said  the  Governor. 

"Partly  yes,  and  partly  no,"  said  Julio.  "Mrs. 
Grange  has  convinced  herself  by  this  time  that  she  does 
not  remember,  and  has  met  these  men  by  appointment, 
which  of  course  her  husband  made  with  them,  not  to 
arouse  their  suspicions.  For  had  they  known  that  it 
was  Mrs.  Grange  who  wished  to  see  them,  to  interview 
them  on  'Memory  Fluid/  they  never  would  have  met." 

"See  how  she  tosses  her  head  and  smiles  at  Mr. 
Niksab.  She  has  probably  heard  of  his  good  fortune 
and  hopes  to  be  presented  with  another  costly  frock," 
said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales.  "Strange  how  sus 
ceptible  some  men  are  to  such  women's  charms." 

"It  is  the  town  talk  to-day  how  she  enchanted  the 
President.  She  does  not  care  for  peoples'  tongues, 
however.  She  is,  no  doubt,  out  on  this  dress  parade  in 
the  hope  of  seeing  the  President  again  and  to  make  a 
further  and  more  lasting  impression  on  him/'  said 
Julio. 

"Who  is  the  short,  stout  man  dressed  in  grey,  coming 
out  of  the  hotel  now  ?"  asked  the  Governor. 

"  I  do  not  recognize  him,"  said  the  scientist,  Gon 
zales. 

"No,  not  in  his  present  guise !"  exclaimed  Julio,  with 
a  laugh  that  shook  his  entire  frame.  "No,  not  in  his 
present  guise.  If  he  were  to  take  off  the  large  grey 
beard  and  grey  wig,  the  difficulty  of  identification  would 
be  removed." 


144        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Whom  would  we  recognize  ?"  asked  the  Governor. 

"  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas,'  "  quietly  replied  Julio. 

"A  day  so  full  of  conundrums  as  this  has  been,  I  hope 
will  not  fall  to  my  lot  again  in  this  life.  I  am  a  large, 
strong  man ;  the  greater  part  of  me — the  objective  part 
— is  human,  and  I  am  confident  I  cannot  hold  up 
under  another  strain  as  severe  as  this  one  which 
began  well  on  to  twenty-four  hours  ago.  The  arrest  of 
this  man  must  be  made  soon,  and  this  great  farce  being 
enacted  by  the  terrible  senorita  and  her  two  associates 
we  have  just  seen,  must  be  put  to  an  end,"  said  Governor 
Lehumada. 

"  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas/ "  quietly  remarked 
Julio,  "will  accompany  the  trio  to  whom  we  have  just 
been  listening,  to  the  tomb.  Harriet  Motuble  knows 
who  her  two  companions  are,  also  the  disguise  of  the 
'Plunger.'  There  is  no  one's  history  she  will  not  ferret 
out,  no  matter  how  dark  and  deep  the  veil  is  surround 
ing  them.  The  step  she  is  now  taking  is  one  too 
far.  She  is  taking  herself  and  her  companions  into 
the  very  hands  of  the  law." 

"Sure  enough,  friend  Julio,  here  is  the  trio;  the  cab 
now  coming  up  to  the  main  entrance  is  the  one  they 
have  employed.  It  is  likewise  similar  to  yours,  Mig- 
uey,"  said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"If  upon  investigation,  I  find  that  that  cab  is  an 
infringement  upon  the  patent  of  mine,  the  manufac 
turer  will  suffer  to  the  extent  of  the  law,"  replied  the 
Governor,  very  much  annoyed.  The  strain  of  the  day 
and  the  previous  night  was  telling  on  him. 

"Something  must  happen  to  divert  him  or  a  physical 


A  Day  of  Conundrums.  145 

collapse  will  result,"  mentally  commented  Julio,  while 
aloud  he  said:  "Your  Honor,  'The  Plunger  from  Kan 
sas'  is  being  invited  by  the  aggressive  senorita  to  ac 
company  them  to  the  tomb." 

"I  see,"  said  the  Governor.  "They  are  now  entering. 
Do  not  let  the  cab  get  from  our  view,  Julio.  We  must 
make  a  sure  thing  of  it  this  time.  We  must  put  a 
stop  to  this  disgraceful  farce." 

"Trust  me,  your  Honor.  The  police  will  be  on  hand 
when  we  arrive,  but  in  hiding.  And  when  they  hear 
the  beautiful  song  of  my  mechanical  bird,  they  will 
rush  forth  and  make  the  arrest." 


146        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  XL 

AEEEST    OP    THE    CONSPIRATORS. 

THE  cab  the  four  men  in  disguise  were  in  took  a  cir 
cuitous  route  to  the  necropolis. 

Julio  directed  the  motorman  to  keep  far  enough  away 
to  avert  suspicion,  but  not  to  lose  sight  of  it  at  any  cost. 
The  Governor's  cab  was  not  in  a  place  easily  to  be  seen 
by  Harriet  Motuble  and  her  assistants  in  the  little  farce- 
comedy  they  were  playing,  when  they  entered  their  cab, 
which  stood  in  front  of  the  Mexican  Annex,  and  while 
it  only  now  and  then  followed  directly  back  of  them, 
there  was  one  hawk-eye  within  the  cab  that  saw  they 
were  being  followed. 

Leo  Leander  was  the  occupant  of  the  cab  who  saw 
they  were  being  followed,  and  knew  intuitively  that 
trouble  would  result  unless  some  way  out  of  it  could 
be  invented  quickly. 

"Gentlemen,"  the  aggressive  senorita  in  disguise  said, 
"gentlemen,  I  took  the  liberty  to  add  another  to  our 
party  to  visit  the  ancient  tomb — a  gentleman  by  birth, 
a  gentleman  by  education  and  social  environments;  a 
student  and  writer  on  anthropology,  and  a  devotee  to 
archaeology.  Friends,  it  is  he  you  see,  the  Rev.  Isaac 
Tombstone,  Senor  Enrique  Arellano,  and  Don  Jose  M. 
Martinez." 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         147 

It  was  quite  evident  from  the  expression  on  the  faces 
of  the  pretenders  introduced  to  Kev.  Isaac  Tombstone, 
that  they  would  rather  he  were  not  one  of  their  party. 

Leo  Leander  saw  this,  and  very  quickly  remarked: 
"Brother  Tombstone  is  better  informed  than  any  other 
man  alive  on  prehistoric  Mexico;  on  the  written  and 
unwritten  history  of  Mexico  up  to  the  nineteenth  cen 
tury;  and  from  that  time  on  he  has  been  an  eye-wit 
ness  to  everything  that  has  taken  place  upon  the  soil 
known  as  Mexico  in  the  nineteenth  century,  and  he  fully 
sympathizes  with  the  descendants  of  the  Latin  race  who 
lost  their  country,  their  time-honored  customs  and  re 
ligious  stronghold.  Gentlemen,  the  Eeverend  Tomb 
stone  is  true  to  principle;  rely  upon  him.  He  will 
fight  to  the  finish  to  help  down  the  present  regime" 

The  assertion  that  the  Eev.  Isaac  Tombstone  had 
lived  through  two  hundred  years,  and  now  sat  before 
them  a  well  preserved  man,  apparently  not  over  sixty 
years  old,  in  full  possession  of  all  his  senses,  was  the 
only  thing  in  the  statements  of  Leo  Leander  which 
seemed  incredulous  to  the  listeners.  However,  they 
congratulated  the  Eeverend  Tombstone  on  being  so 
hale  and  hearty  at  his  great  age  and  said  they  were  de 
lighted  that  he  had  joined  their  party,  and  hoped  in  the 
near  future  that  they  would  become  staunch  friends. 
Leo  Leander  was  delighted  at  the  effect  his  words  had 
created,  and  smiled  serenely  to  himself  as  he  watched 
the  maneuvers  of  the  Governor's  cab. 

He  was  leading  them  a  lively  chase.  So  lively,  in 
fact,  that  the  motorman  of  the  Governor's  cab  often  was 
undecided  just  which  way  to  turn. 


148        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"We  are  discovered,"  said  Julio;  "the  aggressive 
senorita  knows  she  is  being  followed,  and  it  will  take 
more  than  the  quick  eye  of  a  hawk  to  keep  her  from 
eluding  the  law/' 

"Her  cab  certainly  is  not  capable  of  swifter  movement 
than  ours,"  said  the  Governor.  "I  do  not  think  it  pos 
sible  for  them  to  escape  us." 

"We  will  not  lose  sight  of  the  cab  entirely,"  said 
Julio,  "yet  it  is  likely  to  lose  one  of  its  occupants  on 
the  way  without  our  knowledge." 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  did  not  make  any  comment, 
but  gazed  with  much  interest  upon  the  remarkable 
panorama  before  him. 

"We  certainly  are  not  going  directly  to  the  city  of 
the  dead,"  said  the  Governor. 

"In  most  every  other  way  but  the  direct  road  to  the 
necropolis,  we  are  going.  The  fact  is,  your  Honor,  the 
person  in  yonder  cab  disguised  as  Leo  Leander  suspects 
us  of  following  them,  and  is  going  to  ascertain  if  such 
be  the  fact  by  this  method,"  concluded  Julio. 

In  the  meantime  Leo  Leander  was  formulating  a  plan 
for  escape,  while  the  Eev.  Isaac  Tombstone  discoursed 
upon  various  topics  with  the  other  two  occupants  of 
the  cab.  He  played  his  part  well,  to  the  great  de 
light  of  Leo  Leander,  who  had  no  idea  that  the  man 
had  the  learning  he  now  displayed. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  in  answer  to  a  question  propounded 
by  Senor  Enrique  Arellano,  "I  am  certainly  grateful  to 
the  Father  Divine  who  saw  fit  to  let  me  live  through 
out  two  centuries  and  more,  and  retain  complete  use  of 
my  senses,  and  yet  am  in  feeling  a  gay,  healthy  young 
man  as  well." 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         149 

"Upon  what  ground  do  you  base  your  information 
concerning  prehistoric  Mexico?"  asked  Senor  Jose  M. 
Martinez. 

"Upon  the  fact  that  all  light  since  the  beginning  of 
time  has  come  to  man  from  the  East.  Knowing  such 
to  be  the  case,  early  in  the  nineteenth  century,  then  a 
young  man  eager  for  knowledge,  I  journeyed  to  Cal 
cutta,  and  from  thence  to  the  remotest  of  the  Himalayas, 
where  I  studied  with  the  most  learned  of  the  Hindoos. 
They  taught  me  from  charts,  maps  and  sign-writings, 
that  centuries  before,  a  people  had  gone  from  Persia 
and  settled  along  the  west  and  southwest  coast-line  of 
Mexico.  But  this  new  country  was  like  the  'Vale  of 
Siddim,  full  of  lime-pits/  and  the  leaders  of  this  tribe 
fell  to  fighting  amongst  themselves,  after  having 
founded  large  cities.  Excavating  amongst  the  ruins  of 
their  once  great  and  populous  cities,  I  discovered  they 
had  made  great  progress  in  science,  art  and  literature. 
Those  of  the  Persian  tribe  left,  fled  to  the  mountains 
and  valleys  of  the  interior,  where  they  show  evidence  of 
having  united  with  different  races,  by  whom  they  were 
afterwards  extinguished.  These  facts,  friends,  are  of 
profound  interest  ethnologicall}*,"  concluded  the  learned 
doctor  of  divinity. 

"To  be  sure,  to  be  sure,"  repeated  Don  Enrique  Arel 
lano.  "What  a  wonderful  fund  of  knowledge  you  have, 
Eeverend  Tombstone.  Some  day  not  far  distant  I  hope 
to  have  you  at  my  house  as  a  guest,  when  dear  Mexico 
is  restored  to  us  again  and  we  are  happy." 

"And  my  guest  as  well,  when  that  good  time  comes," 
joined  in  Senor  Martinez;  while  Eeverend  Tombstone 


150        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

,,  mentally  added:  "Then  I  will  never  be  your  guests, 
gentlemen.  Ah,  but  this  is  a  great  comedy  some  others 
besides  myself  are  helping  to  play.  These  two  men  are 
a  puzzle  to  me,  as  well  as  Leo  Leander.  I  was  afraid 
not  to  accompany  him  because  he  pierced  my  disguise. 
He  said :  'You  are  "The  Plunger  from  Kansas."  Walk 
right  up,  young  man,  and  take  your  medicine.  I  need 
your  help  in  the  little  farce  I  am  playing,  and  woe  is 
your  name,  if  you  betray  me.'  Well,  I  walked  up,  and 
here  I  am  taking  my  medicine.  Such  seems  to  be  life 
in  this  the  twenty-first  century.  I  pulled  through  two 
other  lives  without  getting  behind  the  bars,  and  they  will 
have  a  lively  chase  if  they  overtake  and  arrest  me  in  this 
life,  'Memory  Fluid'  or  no  memory  fluid,  notwithstand 
ing  the  great  advance  there  has  been  since  my  previous 
life,  in  scientific  investigations.  Well,  what  is  going  to 
happen  now?  The  cab  is  stopping."  Then  aloud  he 
asked:  "The  cab  stops;  is  this  the  city  of  the  dead?" 
"No,  your  Keverence,"  said  Leo  Leander,  "this  is  not 
the  necropolis.  However,  I  will  leave  you  here  and  join 
you  in  a  few  moments  at  the  Motuble  tomb.  Here  is 
the  key  to  the  tomb,  Senor  Jose  Martinez.  It  admits 
you  to  the  tomb  with  one  turn.  If  I  am  not  there  on 
your  arrival,  enter  at  once — do  not  wait  for  me — and 
gaze  upon  the  placid  features  of  Marriet  Motuble  seen 
through  the  glass  on  her  metallic  coffin.  Gaze  upon 
her  and  envy  her  brave  act,  but  pity  those  of  us  left 
without  her  benevolent  heart  and  sweet  influence.  Gaze 
upon  her,  friend,  and  do  not  wait  for  me.  I  may  over 
take  you,  however.  Good-bye;  good-bye  for  a  short 
time,"  he  concluded,  as  the  cab  came  to  a  standstill 
and  Leo  Leander  stepped  from  the  carriage. 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         151 

Almost  instantly  the  cab  with  its  three  occupants 
bound  for  the  city  of  the  dead  moved  rapidly  on,  and 
Leo  Leander  disappeared  from  sight. 

"How  unfortunate  for  us  that  Mr.  Leander  felt  duty 
bound  to  leave  us  at  a  time  so  propitious  for  seeing  the 
ancient  tomb,"  said  Senor  Martinez. 

"It  is  unfortunate  for  us/'  calmly  replied  Rev.  Isaac 
Tombstone;  "although  the  bad  fortune  does  not  fall 
upon  us  alone." 

"How  is  that,  friend  ?"  asked  Don  Enrique  Arellano. 

"He  was  in  good  company,  I  mean,"  smiled  the 
preacher;  "in  very  learned  company,  and  with  old 
friends ;  or  I  would  better  say,  with  those  whom  I  hope 
some  day  to  be  classed  as  old  friends.  Heigh-ho,  here 
comes  a  physician's  cab  at  breakneck  speed,"  concluded 
Eev.  Isaac  Tombstone. 

"Some  one  is  very  ill,  no  doubt,"  said  Senor  Mar 
tinez.  "I  wonder  who  the  patient  is,  that  causes  the 
physician's  cab  to  travel  so  swiftly.  There  are  three  of 
us,  witnesses  to  the  fast  travelling  through  a  crowded 
thoroughfare.  See  the  people  falling  over  each  other 
nearly,  to  get  away  from  the  path  of  the  cab." 

"A  fair  example  of  the  present  rule  of  things,"  said 
Don  Enrique  Arellano. 

"But  I  believe,  my  friend,"  said  Eev.  Isaac  Tomb 
stone,  "that  exceptions  to  the  law  are  made,  in  cases 
of  physicians  going  on  missions  of  mercy." 

"How  can  anyone  say  that  such  is  the  case  now?" 
asked  Senor  Martinez. 

"Not  I,  for  one,"  replied  Don  Arellano. 

"Nor  I,"  added  the  preacher. 


152        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"One  cab  is  certainly  chasing  the  other  now.  We 
must  prevent  it ;  such  doings  are  not  lawful.  We  must 
prevent  it.  We  must  prevent  it,"  cried  Senor  Mar 
tinez,  rising  to  his  feet  and  calling  loudly  to  the  motor- 
man.  If  he  heard  the  cries  of  "Stop,  Stop,"  he  paid 
no  attention.  The  cab  fairly  flew  through  the  streets, 
and  before  anyone  was  aware  of  the  fact,  they  had  ar 
rived  at  the  cemetery  gate  just  behind  the  cab  the  motor- 
man  had  been  trying  to  overtake. 

Rev.  Isaac  Tombstone  was  not  less  surprised  than  his 
companions  to  see  the  other  cab  stop  at  the  Motuble 
tomb. 

The  three  men  alighted  first,  however.  Mr.  Martinez 
unlocked  the  tomb  and  they  entered,  leaving  the  door 
wide  open.  The  tomb  was  in  the  form  of  an  octagon 
at  the  base,  the  diameter  being  twenty  feet;  from  the 
center  of  the  base  to  the  highest  point  of  dome  measured 
one  hundred  feet.  The  interior  was  of  highly  polished 
marble,  in  which  were  set  large  mirrors.  The  small 
coffin  in  which  rested  the  body  of  Catalina  Martinet 
stood  in  the  center  of  the  tomb  on  two  marble  pillars. 
A  silence  fell  upon  the  three  as  they  read  in  bright  gold 
letters  on  the  casket,  "Catalina  Martinet,  age  sixteen. 
Died  of  a  broken  heart." 

"By  the  gods,  I  will  have  revenge  upon  the  man  who 
caused  her  illegal  birth  to  be,  and  her  untimely  death 
to  come.  Marriet  Motuble.  Her  Friend  through  all 
eternity." 

"She  is  dead,  but  lives,"  solemnly  said  Reverend 
Tombstone.  "She  is  dead,  but  lives." 

"Impossible,"  angrily  replied  Don  Arellano.  "Im 
possible." 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.        153 

Without  making  any  reply  the  Keverend  Tombstone 
stepped  to  the  large  casket  recently  placed  in  the  tomb, 
and  said,  looking  in  the  glass  face  plate :  "The  classic 
features  of  Harriet  Motuble!  She  whom  I  knew  in  a 
life  long  since  past  lies  before  me." 

"Don  Arellano/'  cried  Senor  Martinez,  "we  have  been 
deceived.  This  man  is  a  believer  in  that  accursed 
'Memory  Fluid.'  The  sooner  we  get  away,  from  this 
tomb,  back  to  the  city,  the  better  for  us." 

They  each  glanced  nervously  at  the  waxen  face  before 
them,  and  without  further  comment  started  hastily  to 
leave  the  tomb. 

Rev.  Isaac  Tombstone  made  no  sign  that  he  heard 
them,  but  stood  by  the  head  of  the  metallic  coffin,  his 
eyes  riveted  upon  the  face  he  there  saw. 

As  his  two  companions  left  the  tomb,  three  men 
dressed  as  doctors  of  medicine  entered,  and  stood  with 
uncovered  heads  around  the  coffin.  The  cab  in  which 
the  Eeverend  Tombstone  and  party  had  arrived  stood 
in  front  of  the  door  of  the  tomb. 

At  the  moment  the  two  men  were  stepping  into  it 
three  policemen  stepped  forward,  as  the  song  of  a  bird 
rent  the  air,  clapped  iron  bands  around  their  wrists, 
and  said:  "You  are  prisoners  of  law.  Make  no  dis 
turbance  or  you  will  be  roughly  dealt  with." 

Senor  Martinez  threw  his  head  back  haughtily,  and 
asked:  "Does  the  present  regime  permit  the  arrest  of 
quiet,  law-abiding  citizens?" 

"Certainly  not,  certainly  not,"  replied  the  officer. 
"It  is  not  becoming  to  your  present  disguise  for  you  to 
ask  such  a  question." 


154        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Attracted  by  the  noise  outside,  Eev.  Isaac  Tombstone 
walked  to  the  door  of  the  tomb  to  see  the  cause  of  the 
disturbance. 

Julio  Murillo  followed  him  and  said,  addressing  the 
officer  of  the  law:  "Bring  the  prisoners  here,  into  the 
Motuble  tomb/' 

His  orders  were  instantly  obeyed.  It  was  an  op 
portune  moment  for  Eev.  Isaac  Tombstone,  so  he 
thought.  He  stepped  aside  to  allow  the  law  and  its  tres 
passers  to  pass  into  the  tomb.  And  as  he  bowed  in  a 
very  dignified  manner  to  them,  mentally  exclaimed: 
"Now  is  my  time!"  and  ran  to  the  end  of  the  tomb, 
jerking  off  his  false  wig  and  beard  and  his  spectacles  as 
he  went.  He  turned  his  coat  inside  out,  either  side 
made  to  wear  outside,  lit  a  cigar,  and  before  anyone  was 
conscious  he  had  left  his  place  by  the  door  of  the  tomb, 
his  disguise  was  completely  changed,  and  at  a  bound 
he  was  in  the  cab. 

At  that  moment  the  song  of  the  bird  was  again  heard, 
and  the  officers  of  the  law  rushed  out  to  make  another 
arrest,  but  the  cab  was  fairly  flying  away  from  them, 
and  they  cried:  "It  is  too  late;  the  bird  has  flown. 
We  must  have  one  more  chance  at  the  fellow." 

"Were  it  not  necessary  to  examine  the  contents  of 
this  metallic  coffin,"  said  Julio,  "which  is  supposed  to 
contain  the  remains  of  one  Harriet  Motuble,  we  would 
pursue  this  man  in  the  physician's  cab." 

"One  of  my  men,"  said  the  captain  of  the  force 
present,  "can  follow  on  my  air  cycle,  get  assistance, 
and  make  the  arrest  in  the  city." 

"That  is  a  splendid  idea,"  said  the  Governor;  "a 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         155 

splendid  idea.  This  man  is  too  valuable  to  science  to 
be  allowed  to  escape.  His  capture  and  open  confession 
is  the  only  thing  necessary  for  us  to  have  to  convince 
the  entire  world  of  the  truth  of  our  wonderful  discovery, 
'Memory  Fluid/  " 

"What  do  you,  a  common  physician  of  the  State, 
know  of  'Memory  Fluid,'  that  fake  discovery  of  the 
Governor's  and  his  scientific  friends  ?"  asked  Senor  Mar 
tinez,  in  a  highly  sarcastic  tone. 

To  whom  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  replied:  "We 
are  not  here  to  discuss  what  his  Honor  knows  about 
'Memory  Fluid,'  but  to  fully  examine  the  corpse  in  this 
box.  Stand  close  by,  friends.  I  will  make  the  first 
incision." 

Aghast  with  horror,  the  two  prisoners  and  the  remain 
ing  officers  of  law  stepped  back. 

With  an  instrument  that  seemed  to  be  made  especially 
for  the  purpose,  Julio  Murillo  removed  the  glass  plate 
from  the  coffin. 

As  he  passed  his  hand  over  the  face  of  the  object 
before  him,  he  smiled  to  himself  and  the  two  men 
shivered. 

"Now,  my  friend,"  he  said  to  Guillermo  Gonzales, 
"now  is  your  time." 

Unflinchingly  the  scientist  pressed  the  sharp  edge  of 
the  large  knife  against  the  waxen-like  neck  of  the  ob 
ject  before  him  with  the  result  he  expected.  Instead 
of  dissecting  a  corpse,  Julio  cut  into  a  wooden  model 
over  which  was  a  thin  coating  of  wax. 

"See,"  he  said  to  the  Governor,  "see;  the  prophecy 
of  Julio  is  true.  The  aggressive  senorita  is  surely  not 
in  the  Motuble  tomb." 


156        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Nor  for  that  matter/'  said  the  Governor,  "in  any 
other  tomb.  I  am  fully  convinced,  and  the  law  must 
take  its  course  immediately.  A  model  of  wax  only  oc 
cupies  the  Motuble  tomb." 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  fastened  the  glass  plate 
securely  on;  the  policemen  led  their  prisoners  out  of 
the  tomb;  the  Governor  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales 
followed,  and  Julio  Murillo  locked  the  tomb  securely 
and  placed  the  key  in  his  pocket.  As  an  extra  assur 
ance  that  no  one  could  enter  the  tomb  and  carry  away 
the  proof  of  Harriet  Motuble's  dual  action,  the  Gov 
ernor  ordered  two  extra  policemen,  who  had  arrived  in 
the  cab  ordered  for  the  prisoners,  to  guard  the  tomb, 
and  under  no  circumstances  to  let  anyone  enter. 

Strange  to  say,  Senor  Jose  M.  Martinez  and  Don 
Enrique  Arellano  entered  the  policeman's  cab  without 
any  protest  whatever,  and  at  a  rapid  rate  were  taken  to 
the  central  police  court  when  their  disguises  were  at 
once  removed,  and  their  names  were  entered  as  follows  r 
Jesus  Marie  Hernandez,  occupation  a  priest,  alias  Don 
Enrique  Arellano ;  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  occu 
pation  a  gentleman,  alias  Jose  M.  Martinez.  After  the 
above  registration  was  completed,  they  were  placed  in 
separate  cells  and  left  to  their  own  reflections. 

The  Governor  and  his  two  companions  were  quickly 
taken  to  his  own  private  home,  where  they  soon  learned 
that  many  callers  had  been  there  during  his  absence,  and 
several  left,  very  angry,  because  he  was  not  to  be  seen. 

The  President  had  sent  to  the  Governor,  a  few  min 
utes  before  they  arrived,  a  large  envelope  which  con 
tained  many  sheets  of  paper  closely  written. 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         157 

The  three  men  took  supper  together,  and  over  their 
meal  discussed  their  experiences  of  the  day,  and  at 
its  close  went  straight  to  the  Governor's  private  study 
to  read  the  President's  statement.  The  Governor 
handed  the  envelope  to  Julio,  who  opened  it  carefully 
and  read  as  follows: 


"FRIENDS  AND  COMRADES:  A  wonderful  change  has 
come  over  me  within  the  last  eight  hours.  A  change 
so  delicious  that  no  one  but  he  who  has  experienced 
the  same  feeling  can  begin  to  understand  it.  It  is  the 
knowledge  that  comes  to  one  of  a  previous  existence. 

"To  be  plain,  my  friends,  I  remember,  thanks  to 
your  wonderful  'Memory  Fluid/ 

"I  was  in  this  city  one  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago, 
in  the  employ  of  the  United  States  Secret  Service.  I 
arrested,  by  the  assistance  of  a  little  girl — Catalina 
Martinet — a  counterfeiter  who  had  evaded  the  law  for 
years,  all  the  while  living  in  the  Eepublic  of  Mexico 
in  the  guise  of  a  mining  man. 

"That  arrest  was  a  big  feather  in  my  cap.  I  was 
promoted  and  my  salary  raised  largely. 

"I  wish  to  thank  you,  my  friends,  for  the  great  serv 
ice  you  have  done  me  by  bringing  to  my  notice  this 
wonderful  discovery — the  most  wonderful  scientific  dis 
covery  of  this  or  any  other  age.  I  could  write  on  and 
on  and  on,  telling  you  about  what  I  remember,  but  it 
is  of  no  use  to  burden  you  with  so  much  reading. 

"I  will  now  return  to  my  apartments  at  the  Mexican 
Annex,  at  which  place  I  hope  to  see  you  privately  be- 


158        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

fore  I  leave  the  city,  which  will  be  at  twelve  o'clock 
to-night. 

"Yours   fraternally    and   faithfully, 

"JOSEPH  MORTINGO." 

"He  leaves  to-night,  at  twelve.  Ah,  he  returns  to 
the  capital;  his  plans  are  changed  since  morning.  I 
will  go  immediately;  you  will  accompany  me,  friends, 
I  hope,"  said  the  Governor. 

"With  much  pleasure;  we  will  make  our  toilet  at 
once/'  said  Senor  Guillermo  G-onzales,  speaking  for 
himself  and  Julio  Murillo. 

"I  will  in  the  meantime,"  said  the  Governor,  "speak 
to  him.  I  will  say  we  will  be  there  in  half  an  hour." 

In  a  very  short  space  of  time  the  three  scientists 
were  on  their  way  to  the  Mexican  Annex.  The  hour 
was  ten  P.M.,  yet  people  seemed  to  be  assembling  there 
from  all  quarters  of  the  city. 

Several  times  before  reaching  the  hostelry  the  three 
scientists  heard  angry  cries  as  they  passed  through  the 
streets. 

The  Governor  thought  nothing  of  the  matter  until 
he  was  leaving  his  cab  to  enter  the  hotel,  when  an  angry 
crowd  cried:  "There  is  the  traitor!  Kill  him! 
Kill  him !" 

Many  blows  were  aimed  at  the  Governor,  but  were 
warded  off  by  the  timely  arrival  of  the  soldiers  and 
police. 

"Come,  Miguey,  come.  Enter  by  this  private  en 
trance.  This  mad  crowd  is  likely  to  make  an  end  of 
all  of  us  if  we  do  not  get  out  of  sight,"  said  Senor 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         159 

Guillermo  Gonzales,  as  he  hurried  the  Governor  into 
the  hotel. 

"The  uprising  has  begun,"  said  Julio,  "and  earlier 
than  I  expected.  You  gentlemen  go  at  once  to  the 
President's  rooms.  I  will  see  what  news  can  be  learned 
in  the  rotunda.  It  is  my  opinion  that  the  President 
should  be  sent  to  the  station  to-night  under  heavy 
military  guard.  He  must  get  out  of  Chihuahua  in  dis 
guise,  and  to-night  at  that.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  we 
have  an  ugly  affair  on  our  hands.  This  is  no  place 
to  talk.  I  will  go  in  search  of  the  latest  news."  He 
hurried  away  amongst  the  surging  crowd,  while  the 
Governor  and  Guillermo  Gonzales  were  shown  to  the 
President's  rooms. 

"This  is  a  terrible  state  of  affairs,"  said  the  Presi 
dent,  as  he  greeted  them  on  entering. 

"The  instigators  of  the  uprising,"  quietly  spoke  the 
Governor,  "are  behind  the  bars,  and  when  their  sym 
pathizers  learn  the  fact,  it  will  put  an  end  to  the  un 
lawful  doings  of  the  rabble." 

"My  life  has  been  threatened  three  times  since  my 
arrival  at  the  hotel.  And  see,  gentlemen,  the  cipher 
despatches  I  have  received  from  the  Capital." 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  took  the  despatches  from 
the  hands  of  the  President,  looked  them  over  curiously, 
and  said:  "Has  the  news  of  this  affair  reached 
Washington  ?" 

"It  has  more  than  reached  the  city.  A  fearfully 
large  following  has  not  only  been  raised  there,  but  in  the 
metropolis  and  capital  of  every  State  in  the  Union. 
Unless  the  militia  and  police  force  can  quell  the  dis- 


160        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

turbers  in  a  few  days,  much  trouble  will  follow,"  said 
President  Mortingo. 

The  Governor  extinguished  the  light  in  the  room, 
and  stepping  to  a  window,  said :  "See  the  mob  in  the 
street !  What  is  it  they  are  crying  ?" 

Above  the  sounds  of  the  mob,  a  voice  cried:  "That 
is  his  room;  they  are  all  there.  Shoot  the  pretenders 
down  without  a  word !" 

At  that  moment  Julio  Murillo  entered  the  room 
quietly,  and  going  close  to  the  two  near  the  window, 
said:  "His  Excellency  must  be  taken  from  the  hotel 
immediately ;  there  is  no  time  for  delay." 

"But  his  life  is  in  danger,  if  he  be  seen,"  said  the 
Governor. 

"To  be  sure,"  calmly  replied  Julio;  "but  not  any 
more  than  your  own." 

"They  intend  to  harm  every  one  who  is  a  believer  in 
'Memory  Fluid,' "  said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"There  is  no  time  to  be  lost,  gentlemen,"  said  Julio. 
"I  have  disguises  here  for  his  Excellency  and  your 
Honor.  Friend  Gonzales  and  myself  will  be  lost  in 
the  crowd." 

The  two  men  of  national  repute  disguised  themselves 
with  the  various  articles  Julio  brought  with  him,  left 
the  room  unobserved  by  anyone  but  the  soldiers  guard 
ing  the  room,  and  were  soon  safely  quartered  with 
those  of  the  President's  party  who  had  not  left  the  city 
that  morning  in  a  palace  car  ready  to  be  hurried  away 
to  Washington. 

The  Governor  and  his  two  scientific  friends  returned 
to  his  residence,  but  could  only  get  within  one  block 
of  it  in  the  cab,  for  the  rabble  and  soldiers. 


Arrest  of  the  Conspirators.         161 

They  left  the  cab  and  mingled  with  the  crowd,  and 
soon  were  safely  in  the  house  by  a  private  entrance. 

In  a  sense  they  were  safe ;  but  how  long  safety  would 
last  they  could  not  say.  All  night  the  Governor  and 
his  two  scientific  friends  in  company  with  many  high 
officials  of  State,  discussed  the  present  state  of  affairs 
and  laid  plans  for  immediate  action  should  further 
trouble  come. 

The  President  had  promised  that  United  States  troops 
would  arrive  at  the  shortest  notice  possible  and  put  an 
end  to  the  uprising  if  the  State  troops  were  insufficient. 


162        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A   LIFE   SAVED. 

THERE  never  had  been  such  excitement  in  Chihuahua 
as  that  caused  by  the  arrests  of  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu 
y  Falomir,  and  Father  Hernandez. 

Not  even  the  execution  of  Hidalgo,  the  good  priest 
who  sought  to  free  the  people  of  Mexico  from  the  ter 
rible  slavery  in  which  the  church  held  them,  created 
the  same  fervor.  The  mad  rabble  and  the  church 
fanatics  were  too  ignorant  to  realize  the  awfulness  of 
their  deed.  They  believed  what  they  had  been  told  by 
the  church,  that  whoever  advocated  freedom  of  thought 
must  die.  And  few  were  the  tears  shed  when,  in  the 
year  of  1810,  the  life  of  the  great  and  noble  Father 
Hidalgo  was  taken  in  Chihuahua.  At  least,  it  was  the 
few  who  shed  tears. 

Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir  had  been  known 
as  a  quiet,  law-abiding  citizen,  very  wealthy  and  ec 
centric.  It  was  generally  known  that  he  prided  him 
self  upon  the  fact  of  his  blue  Mexican  blood,  and  per 
sisted  in  signing  Falomir,  his  mother's  maiden  name, 
to  his  own  surname,  as  was  the  custom  in  Mexico  up 
to  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Yet  no  one  ever 
dreamed  that  he  nursed  any  ill-will  against  the  law  of 


A  Life  Saved.  163 

the  land  of  his  birth — against  the  United  States  of 
America. 

Everyone  seemed  to  think  that  he  had  a  right  to  his 
peculiarities,  and  while  Chihuahuans  smiled  when  the 
name  Don  Francisco  K.  Cantu  y  Falomir  was  spoken 
they  were  always  ready  to  point  out  this  wealthy,  aris 
tocratic  and  eccentric  citizen  to  visitors  in  Chihuahua 
and  obtain  an  introduction  to  him  for  them,  if  possible. 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  citizens  of  Chihuahua 
wondered  that  their  fellow-citizen,  thought  to  be  quiet 
and  law-abiding,  and  the  priest,  well  known  in  the  city 
for  his  many  charitable  deeds,  were  behind  the  bars  on 
a  charge  of  treason. 

The  calm  of  the  early  morning,  produced  by  reading 
the  full  account  of  the  charges  and  the  arrest  of  these 
two  well-known  citizens,  in  the  great  Chihuahuan, 
was  now  giving  way  to  noisy  discussions  of  them,  by 
small  and  large  crowds  of  citizens  of  all  classes,  assem 
bled  on  the  street  corners,  and  in  public  and  private 
houses.  At  nine  o'clock  the  jail  in  which  the  two 
offenders  of  law  were  held  was  almost  surrounded  by 
what  looked  to  be  the  rabble  of  the  entire  country. 

The  great  and  progressive  city  of  Chihuahua  had 
never  had  such  a  large  crowd  of  ungainly  and  sus 
picious  looking  creatures  assemble  since  it  became  a 
part  of  the  great  Eepublic  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  From  whence  had  they  come  and  for  what 
purpose?  were  the  questions  propounded  on  every  side 
by  the  uninitiated. 

At  first  no  particular  attention  was  paid  to  the  miser 
able  looking  beings  hanging  around  the  jail.  But  as 


164        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

their  number  increased  so  rapidly,  although  they  sel 
dom  spoke  and  made  no  disturbance,  the  number  of 
police  usually  on  beat  near  the  jail  was  doubled,  and  a 
company  of  one  hundred  soldiers  were  stationed  close 

by. 

The  rabble  questioned  no  one,  and  no  one  questioned 
the  rabble. 

The  police  and  soldiers  kept  their  eyes  riveted  upon 
them,  but  as  they  only  looked  suspicious,  and  did 
nothing,  they  were  allowed  to  remain  and  no  arrests 
were  made. 

Such  were  the  orders  received  from  the  Governor, 
and  no  officer  cared  to  disobey  them.  During  the  fore 
noon  several  priests  and  friends  of  Don  Francisco  K. 
Cantu  y  Falomir  came  to  the  jail  and  begged  for  ad 
mittance.  Each  person  was  refused  and  went  away 
angry.  Some  of  them  openly  vowed  vengeance. 

One  priest  ventured  to  return,  and  asked  the  guard 
why  his  friends  were  confined  in  jail,  and  if  an  early 
hearing  would  be  granted  them.  Unable  to  get  any 
satisfactory  answers,  he  turned  away,  his  white  face 
showing  the  terrible  rage  he  was  in. 

The  Governor  and  his  scientific  coworkers  had  not 
been  seen  on  the  street  during  the  day,  and  as  night 
approached  and  no  official  word  could  be  had  as  to  the 
probable  fate  of  the  prisoners,  the  rabble  around  and 
near  the  jail  showed  signs  of  great  uneasiness,  and  in 
bodies  of  threes  and  fours  wandered  away.  As  each 
party  left  it  was  quietly  followed  by  an  officer,  who 
thought  himself  in  a  condition  impossible  to  be  sur 
prised,  no  matter  how  unusual  an  occurrence  which 
would  happen  might  be. 


A  Life  Saved.  165 

However,  his  thoughts  in  that  direction  were  wholly 
in  error,  as  what  occurred  will  demonstrate. 

As  the  sun  sank  behind  a  tall  peak  of  the  Sierra 
Madre,  and  a  still  darkness  crept  over  the  beautiful 
scene,  and  hid  it  from  admiring  eyes,  the  strange 
crowd  that  had  wandered  off  in  small  numbers  from  the 
jail  now  collected  themselves  in  a  large,  empty  storage 
room  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  city,  a  distance  of 
about  four  miles  from  the  Mexican  Annex,  and  the 
Governor's  residence.  Before  nine  o'clock  it  was  filled 
to  overflowing,  and  still  ragged,  dirty  creatures  full  of 
disease  kept  on  coming  from  every  direction.  From 
the  stillness  of  everyone  the  meeting  and  its  object 
evidently  was  meant  to  be  kept  a  secret,  at  least  for  a 
season. 

When  it  was  seen  that  not  another  person  could  find 
standing  room  in  the  large  wareroom,  the  door  was 
securely  fastened;  a  dim  light  was  turned  on,  and  a 
tall,  raw-boned  looking  man  stepped  on  top  of  a  high 
drygoods  box,  and  said: 

"Friends  and  Countrymen:  It  is  with  a  sad  heart 
I  stand  upon  this  platform  and  look  out  upon  the  many 
hundred  faces  before  me,  faces  that  show  the  ravages  of 
disease,  the  pangs  of  hunger,  and  the  no-hope  expres 
sion  of  those  who  have  been  downtrodden;  neglected, 
mentally,  morally  and  spiritually,  on  account  of  pecu 
liar  environments.  It  is  with  a  sad  heart  I  see  you 
thus  before  me  and  join  you  in  your  silent  prayer  for 
deliverance.  For  deliverance!  Does  not  that  word 
partake  of  Divinity?  Does  it  not  seem  to  bring  you 
closer  to  the  great  Giver  of  Justice?  Does  there  not 


166        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

seem  to  be  a  start  toward  the  adjustment  of  all  evil? 
Cannot  you  who  have  despaired  of  hope,  see  the  light 
of  the  Divine,  the  expression  that  comes  from  a  super 
ior  knowledge,  upon  my  face?  I  am  your  deliverer. 
By  the  help  of  all  influence  Divine,  I  will  see  that  just 
ice  is  meted  out  to  you.  Away  back  in  that  life  known 
only  to  myself  when  I  was  a  fat,  freckled-faced,  bare 
footed  boy  of  ten,  building  mud  houses  and  paddling 
in  the  rippling  streams,  I  saw  strange  things  and 
heard  strange  voices.  One  day  while  sitting  on  a 
large  moss-covered  bowlder  in  the  clear  waters  of  a 
placid,  cool  and  shallow  stream,  I  had  a  vision.  I  saw 
the  words,  'You  must  be  the  deliverer  of  the  oppressed 
and  downtrodden  in  Chihuahua  in  this  year,  the  year 
of  our  Lord  2049/  written  in  letters  of  fire,  out  over 
the  water.  I  was  frightened,  and  started  to  run,  when 
a  voice  said  to  me:  'Stop;  look  and  fear  not.'  I  took 
my  seat  upon  the  highest  point  of  the  bowlder  and 
riveted  my  eyes  upon  the  spot  over  the  water  where  I 
had  seen  the  letters  of  fire.  Very  soon  I  saw  a  large, 
magnificently  built  city.  I  saw  it  grow  and  grow  until 
it  became  unparalleled,  for  grandeur,  and  for  the 
number  of  advanced-thought  people.  I  saw  the  glory 
and  power  of  one  rise,  while  others  sank  lower  and 
lower  into  the  very  depths  of  poverty,  disease  and 
ignorance.  I  saw  a  coterie  of  blue-blooded  people, 
educated  and  wealthy,  arise  like  guardian  angels  in  the 
night  and  go  forth  to  defend  the  oppressed;  to  take 
from  his  throne  of  power,  the  pretender;  one  of  their 
own  royal  blood  who  had  betrayed  the  confidence  im 
posed  in  him,  and  now  sought  by  the  arts  of  a  magician 


A  Life  Saved.  167 

to  make  the  people  believe  that  he  had  made  wonderful 
progress  in  scientific  discoveries.  I  saw  the  two  noble 
defenders  of  the  downtrodden  thrust  into  jail !  I  saw 
a  small  army  of  believers  in  the  two  defenders  of  noble 
birth,  start  out  confidently  to  overthrow  the  govern 
ment;  to  try  to  sever  that  part  of  the  United  States  of 
America  once  known  as  the  Kepublic  of  Mexico,  from 
the  Union  to  which  it  sent  a  petition  less  than  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago,  asking  for  annexation,  which 
was  in  due  time  granted." 

"Yes,"  piped  out  the  voice  of  an  infirm  old  man, 
"we  want  our  Mexico  back;  we  want  our  priests  re 
stored.  Them  was  good  old  days,  and  we  want  them 
back." 

"We  will  make  war  against  all  these  high  notions  of 
scientists,  who,  the  priests  say,  are  leading  the  people 
to  hades,"  ventured  another  old  man,  bent  with  age  and 
infirmities. 

"The  Church  ain't  much  power,  but  it  still  has  many 
followers,  and  all  of  us  can  fight  for  it,"  continued  the 
old  man. 

The  revolutionary  sentiments  expressed  began  to 
show  effect  upon  the  crowd.  They  moved  about  un 
easily,  and  low  curses  and  threats  were  being  voiced 
on  every  side. 

The  speaker  again  began  to  talk  and  the  noise  sub 
sided  somewhat. 

"Yes,"  he  said;  "I  saw  ourselves  plunged  into  an 
internal  war.  It  was  carried  on  between  all  adherents 
to  the  dogmas  of  the  orthodox  on  one  side,  and  advo- 
cators  of  free  thought  on  the  other  side.  And  my 


168        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

vision  ended,  with  part  of  this  nation  fighting  the  other. 
The  assembly  no  doubt  thinks  that  thoughts  as  ex 
pressed  by  some  of  your  would-be  learned  men  are 
too  free."  This  remark  elicited  a  great  applause,  and 
the  speaker,  after  mentally  congratulating  himself  upon 
the  impression  he  had  made,  continued:  "Everyone 
knows  to  whom  I  refer  particularly."  A  hushed  silence 
followed  this  remark.  "I  refer  particularly  to  the 
Governor  of  this  great  State,  the  man  who  claims  to 
have  discovered  a  fluid  directly  from  the  sun's  rays, 
which  will  perpetuate  memory  throughout  all  time. 
The  main  purpose  for  which  this  fluid  is  intended,  is 
to  aid  officers  of  law  in  securing  evidence  against  all 
who  have  committed  crimes,  and  to  bring  such  people 
to  justice.  Study  upon  this  feature  of  the  case, 
friends.  Imagine  yourself  being  compelled  to  believe 
in  such  stuff.  That  is  what  constitutes  part  of  the 
doctrine  of  Free  Thought.  You  must  be  a  scientist  to 
advocate  free  thought  as  they  wish  it.  It  tramples 
down  all  the  idols  which  you  have  bowed  to  for  cen 
turies.  The  faith  of  your  fathers  must  be  superseded 
by  facts  obtained  from  scientific  investigations.  You 
must  believe  that  memory  can  be  restored  and  pre 
served  through  ages;  that  the  annihilation  of  diseased 
matter  can  be  accomplished  by  means  of  'Ebony  Fluid/ 
That  all  miraculous  deeds  of  the  Christ  of  Bible  fame 
can  be  done  to-day,  not  only  by  one,  but  by  many;  all 
of  whom,  however,  must  be  initiated.  Well,  friends,  I 
have  been  talking  thirty  minutes.  You  have  my  senti 
ments  ;  think,  think,  think !  Never  act:  without  study 
ing  over  the  past  results  of  just  such  action  you  are  on 


A  Life  Saved.  169 

the  eve  of  taking.  Eemember  the  condition  of  the 
times.  You  will  fight  against  many  odds.  It  will  be 
ten  against  one.  But  do  not  be  discouraged;  bear  in 
mind  that  a  handful  of  men  and  women  who  desired 
to  practice  their  religion  according  to  the  dictates  of 
their  own  conscience  severed  themselves  from  England, 
their  mother  country,  with  much  bloodshed;  with 
much  bloodshed,  it  is  true,  yet  they  gained  the  object 
for  which  they  fought — their  freedom — and  hence  the 
right  to  serve  God  as  pleased  their  fancy.  I  will  not 
suggest  what  step  for  you  to  take,  but  if  you  will  tell 
me  your  plan,  I  will  lead  you  to  success." 

This  time  the  high  notes  of  a  voice  which  showed 
training  in  public  speaking,  arose  up  from  the  great 
crowd,  and  startled  everyone  by  exclaiming:  "I,  the 
Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  do  this  moment  declare  that  there  is 
but  one  way  to  adjust  matters  as  they  now  stand; — to 
rectify  the  great  injustices  done  to  the  followers  of  the 
orthodox,  to  those  who  believe  in  and  follow  the  pre 
cepts  of  the  inspired  works  of  biblical  writers.  I  say 
there  is  but  one  way  to  recover  our  waning  power  and 
that  is,  to  fight  for  right/' 

Hurrah  after  hurrah  went  up.  The  crowd  grew  less 
and  less  under  self-control. 

The  minister  continued:  "Do  not  delay;  make  the 
first  strike  to-night.  Listen,"  he  cried  in  hushed  tones. 
"Listen!  I  will  assist  yon  noble  speaker  to  lead  you 
to  the  front — to  face  the  foe  in  battle." 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  speech,  and  before  another 
word  could  be  spoken  by  anyone  else  present,  the  lights 
in  the  room  went  out  and  the  mad  cries  of  the  audience 
went  up  in  protest. 


170        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

A  strong  breeze,  which  could  only  come  through  an 
open  door  or  window,  swept  through  the  room. 

It  needed  no  voice  to  tell  that  trouble  was  at  hand, 
but  not  the  kind  they  had  been  talking  about  trying 
to  create.  Quick  orders  were  given  by  some  one  in 
authority,  in  a  low  voice,  and  responded  to  by  others 
in  curses.  Everybody  tried  to  get  to  the  door  and  into 
the  street. 

In  less  than  ten  minutes  after  the  lights  went  out, 
the  large  room  seemed  to  be  empty;  but  it  was  not 
quite  empty — there  was  one  person  left  and  he  was  the 
speaker  of  the  evening.  The  night  was  intensely  dark, 
and  the  large  crowd  got  as  near  together  as  possible, 
and  planned  for  a  night  of  carnage.  Until  one  o'clock 
they  remained  quiet,  except  for  planning. 

By  some  one  the  Eev.  J.  T.  Note  was  missed;  but 
no  one  felt  alarmed,  for  those  who  missed  him  thought 
he  was  somewhere  amongst  the  crowd,  helping  to  carry 
out  their  proposed  plan  of  attack.  Now  that  the  hour 
had  arrived  that  they  had  agreed  upon  to  attempt  to 
tfke  the  life  of  the  Governor  and  his  two  scientific 
friends,  a  company  of  three  hundred  men,  led  by  the 
old  man  with  the  piping  voice,  cautiously  wended  their 
way  in  that  direction.  Others  started  in  various  direc 
tions  to  carry  out  their  nefarious  ideas. 

The  tall,  raw-boned  person  remained,  almost  breath 
less,  in  his  crouched  position  on  the  floor  back  of  a 
big  empty  box,  until  thoroughly  satisfied  that  no  inter 
loper,  or  friend,  as  for  that,  was  in  the  room.  Cau 
tiously  walking  to  the  back  door,  the  position  of  which 
he  must  have  been  well  informed,  he  opened  it  noise- 


A  Life  Saved.  171 

lessly  and  quietly  stepped  out  into  the  dark  night. 
For  five  minutes  more  he  strode  back  and  forth,  his 
thumbs  securely  thrust  into  the  band  of  his  trousers, 
in  deep  meditation,  now  and  then  chuckling  to  himself. 
"Let  me  see,"  he  said  aloud  as  he  suddenly  came  to 
a  stop,  "let  me  see.  It  is  now  fifteen  minutes  after 
one  o'clock.  Whew!  What  did  Helen  Hinckley  think 
when  I  failed  to  meet  her  at  the  appointed  place  and 
time.  The  result  of  the  meeting  just  closed  was  the 
most  unexpected  event  of  my  life.  It  is  all  day  with 
these  would-be  revolutionists  if  the  city  police  and  state 
militia  are  onto  this  meeting.  It  is  all  up  with  you, 
Eeverend  Note,  I  am  quite  sure.  Chihuahua's  police 
force  took  charge  of  you,  I'll  bet  a  copper.  You  are 
languishing  in  a  small  cell,  behind  the  iron  bars,  as  a 
nineteenth  century  romance  writer  would  say,  on  a 
charge  of  treason.  It  will  go  hard  with  these  three 
transgressors  of  law.  It  is  a  strange  affair,  and  I  have 
done  my  best  to  help  both  sides  accomplish  what  they 
are  out  for.  Ha!  ha!  It  is  a  great  world,  and  Free 
Thought,  based  upon  scientific  reasoning,  is  sure  to 
win.  As  sure  as  fate.  The  poor  deluded  creatures 
here  to-night  have  my  sympathies,  and  also  had  my 
assistance  to-night.  I  did  all  within  my  power  to  make 
the  fire  of  revenge  burn  bright  within  their  bosom. 
Some  people  may  say  I  am  a  hypocrite.  Well,  I  am 
in  a  way;  but  when  one  can  make  others  happy  by 
practising  a  little  deception,  the  wrong  cannot  be  last 
ing.  And  what  if  it  is,  what  if  it  is?  The  beautiful 
creature  who  has  so  completely  captivated  the  bachelor 
heart  of  the  Governor,  was  disappointed,  no  doubt,  by 


172        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

not  finding  me  at  my  apartment  at  the  Annex,  at  ten 
o'clock.  But  not  so  disappointed,  I  fancy,  as  when 
she  reads  in  to-morrow  morning's  Chihuahuan,  an  ac 
count  of  the  murder  of  the  Governor,  whose  love,  I 
imagine,  she  reciprocates;  and  of  Don  Guillermo  Gon- 
zales,  and  of  Julio  Murillo,  the  son  of  Senora  Suzzan 
Carriles,  of  Colima,  as  well.  'Memory  Fluid'  will 
go  over  the  board,  if  that  wholesale  slaughter  is  effected. 
Their  great  test  case  will  be  laid  over  for  another  in 
carnation.  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas'  will  have  one 
more  chance  for  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happi 
ness,  without  living  in  mortal  fear  of  being  dragged 
up  before  the  bar  of  civil  justice  and  politely  requested 
to  make  amends  for  a  deed  done  in  the  body  in  at  least 
two  existences  past.  Yes,  poor  fellow,  he  will  have  a 
little  rest  and  peace  of  mind;  for  there  is  no  one  who 
will  concern  himself  about  presenting  to  the  world 
proofs  of  the  results  obtained  by  the  use  of  their  great 
discovery.  Helen  Hinckley  will  pine  away,  and  the 
grave  will  claim  her  for  another  victim  before  the 
summer  is  over.  Their  spirits  will  voice  a  desire  to 
enter  again  into  a  physical  condition  immediately,  and 
before  twenty  years  of  their  new  life  has  passed  away, 
those  two  hearts  that  this  moment  beat  as  one,  soon  to 
be  so  ruthlessly  severed,  will  be  united  forever  and  for 
ever,  and  as  they  glide  along  and  form  one  of  the 
many  scenes  in  life's  grand  panorama,  they  will  cause, 
by  their  subtle  philosophy,  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas' 
to  adjust  the  wrong  they  are  now  trying  to  right.  Ha ! 
ha!  ha!  Keally  I  must  move  on,  and  cease  my 
early  morning  soliloquy.  I  really  believe  I  am  get- 


A  Life  Saved.  173 

ting  to  be  a  prophet.  Certainly  I  have  been  talking 
aloud.  In  the  nineteenth  century,  when  one  fell  into 
the  habit  of  talking  aloud  to  one's  self  he  was  said  to 
be  loco;  but  no  such  a  fear  need  be  entertained  now, 
for  this  is  the  age  of  scientific  revelation.  No  one  can 
accuse  the  other,  for  every  queer  action  is  attributed  to 
his  knowledge  of  science.  And  either  everyone  is  a 
student  of  science — of  course  that  science  which  per 
tains  to  the  soul  of  man,  particularly — or  everyone  is 
loco  or  crazy.  Adios,  all  ye  demons  of  darkness,  soon 
to  be  superseded  by  the  angels  of  light,  adios.  I  cer 
tainly  hope  the  messages  you  bring  will  be  such  that 
my  sad  heart  will  be  avenged.  Now,  with  feet  as  fleet 
as  the  wild  goat  that  once  roamed  the  mountains  over, 
I  will  reach  the  Mexican  Annex,  quietly  steal  into  my 
apartments,  quickly  conceal  all  of  my  disguise,  and  to 
morrow  no  one  will  be  any  the  wiser  for  my  night's 
escapade.  Ha !  ha !  no  doubt,  that  on  in  the  day  while 
the  revolutionists  are  playing  havoc  in  the  great,  pro 
gressive  city,  I  will  be  shedding  tears,  mingling  mine 
with  those  of  the  Plunger  of  Kansas  over  the  biers  of 
our  lately  departed  friends.  Only  friend  Julio  will  I 
grieve  for  the  loss  of.  Poor  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles, 
of  Colima,  had  no  idea  when  she  and  Father  Hernan 
dez,  now  languishing  in  jail,  committed  the  crime  of 
adultery  in  a  former  existence  that  their  progeny 
would  rise  up  nearly  two  centuries  afterwards  and 
make  them  repent  of  their  folly.  Ha!  ha!  Ye  vigils 
of  darknesss,  I  am  gone!" 

The  person  who  had  just  concluded  the  lengthy 
soliloquy,  passed  away,  without  further  delay  or  com 
ment,  in  the  direction  of  the  Mexican  Annex. 


174        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Near  by  stood  unseen,  Helen  Hinckley,  who  had 
heard  with  bated  breath  every  word  of  the  soliloquy. 
"The  person,"  she  cried  with  smothered  voice,  "cannot 
be  other  than  the  friend  of  my  other  life.  The  voice 
I  recognize  as  that  of  Harriet  Motuble.  Strange 
creature!  She  whom  I  grieved  for  as  dead,  until  her 
note  reached  me  at  nine  o'clock  to-night,  and  gave 
satisfactory  explanations,  is  here  plotting  against  the 
great  and  noble  Governor  and  his  able  coworkers. 
Oh,  thou  annihilator  of  evil,  bear  me  witness  to  the 
doings  of  this  strange  woman.  I  will  warn  him  for 
whom  I  have  looked  through  two  lives.  He  shall  be 
preserved,  and  when  his  true  state  is  confessed  to  me 
in  words,  I  will  unite  my  life  to  his,  and  then  what 
should  have  come  to  pass  two  hundred  years  ago  will 
take  place  now.  There  is  no  worry  in  my  soul,  for  the 
righting  of  all  wrongs  is  certain  to  come  to  pass." 

As  swift  as  the  wings  of  a  bird  could  waft  itself 
through  space,  she  glided  through  the  still,  cool  air  of 
the  early  morning,  at  a  distance  of  twelve  inches  from 
the  ground,  to  the  Governor's  home.  By  means  of  her 
own  great  psychic  power  she  conveyed  to  him  even  in 
his  deep  sleep  the  knowledge  of  her  coming,  and  where 
to  admit  her;  at  a  door  opening  out  upon  a  balcony  on 
the  second  floor,  to  the  rear  of  his  home. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  close-fitting  black  dress  and  hat, 
so  that  in  the  intense  darkness  of  the  night  she  was 
not  observed. 

When  the  Governor  first  received  the  mental  message 
stating  her  intention  of  visiting  him  on  important 
business,  his  body  shook  with  a  great  emotion,  and  his 


A  Life  Saved.  175 

heart  beat  wildly  with  joy  at  the  prospect  of  seeing 
and  talking  with  the  object  of  his  heart's  desire. 

But  when  he  reached  the  door  she  expected  to  enter, 
and  stood  ready  to  open  it  for  her,  he  was  again  a 
man  of  reason,  and  an  overwhelming  love  for  the  spir 
itual  woman  had  taken  the  place  of  his  baser  love. 

He  held  the  door  slightly  open,  and  eagerly  gazed 
into  the  darkness  he  could  not  pierce. 

He  felt  a  strange  vibrating  of  the  air,  and  then  a 
presence  which  glided  over  the  balcony  and  into  the 
room  and  sank  into  a  heap  at  his  feet. 

He  caused  the  room  to  be  instantly  lighted,  and 
stooping,  raised  the  prostrate  figure  at  his  feet. 

"A  little  water,  if  you  please,"  she  said.  "I  could 
not  compute  the  height,  so  the  flight  was  a  little  hard 
for  me." 

The  Governor  handed  her  a,  glass  of  cool  water,  and 
said :  "I  am  sorry  your  solicitude  for  my  safety  has  cost 
you  such  a  great  physical  effort." 

"No,  no,  no;  do  not  mind.  It  would  not  have  hap 
pened  could  I  have  seen  the  house  and  computed  the 
distance  from  the  ground  to  this  door.  Do  not  be  in 
the  least  concerned  about  me,  your  Honor.  The  law 
is  apparent,  but  I  had  nothing  on  which  I  could  base 
my  calculations,"  said  Miss  Hinckley. 

"I  do  not  understand,"  said  the  great  Governor  and 
great  discoverer  of  "Memory  Fluid,"  "how  you  came  in 
this  door  directly  from  the  street  without  any  visible 
means  of  ascending  to  this  height?" 

"Is  it  possible,  your  Honor,  that  you  forget  when 
you  and  I  in  that  life  gone  by,  hoped  we  might  be  able 
to  overcome  the  law  of  gravitation  so  far  as  our  own 


176        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

bodies  were  concerned,  as  well  as  to  discover  a  means 
by  which  we  could  perpetuate  memory?" 

"I  certainly  recall  our  meditations  along  those  lines, 
but  I  have  made  no  investigations  along  the  line  of 
the  former,"  replied  the  Governor. 

"But  I  have,"  said  his  fair  listener,  "and  while  you 
were  perfecting  your  wonderful  'Memory  Fluid' — and 
other  liquids  obtained  from  the  source  of  all  light, 
and  which  may  prove  to  be  equally  as  great  scientific 
revealers  to  man — I  have  been  delving  in  the  realms  of 
the  hidden  and  praying  for  light.  It  came,  and  oh, 
glorious  was  the  day  when  I  felt  myself  lifted  up  a 
few  inches  from  the  ground  and  gliding  along  as  easily 
as  a  bird  on  the  wing !" 

"How  astonishing,  how  wonderful!  ~Xoi~  must  at 
once  become  a  Fellow  in  our  Eoyal  Academy  for  Scien 
tific  Investigations.  Your  discovery  is  the  most  re 
markable  in  the  history  of  man.  You  will  do  me  the 
honor,  I  hope,  to  first  explain  the  modus  operandi.  My 
soul  yearns  for  knowledge  of  Nature,  of  God,"  cried 
the  great  man  of  science,  his  voice  full  of  emotion. 

"My  hand,  your  Honor.  Depend  upon  it,  that  the 
limited  knowledge  I  have  shall  be  conveyed  to  you  at 
the  earliest  moment  possible.  The  man  who  is  so  well 
in  tune  with  the  Great  Light,  the  Source  of  All,  will 
comprehend  the  subject  in  a  moment,"  said  Helen 
Hinckley. 

The  Governor  pressed  her  firm  brown  hand  between 
his  two,  and  lifting  his  eyes  to  the  invisible  Ruler  of  the 
universe,  said:  "The  blending  of  two  harmonious 
lives,  oh,  Thou  Great  and  Everlasting  Cause;  this 
seems  to  me  to  be  the  fulfillment  of  Thy  desire." 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  177 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE  PEACE  OP  THE  SOUL. 

HELEN  HINCKLEY  raised  her  beautiful  face,  shining 
with  a  light  divine,  and  said:  "It  is  the  fulfillment, 
your  Honor.  It  is  the  peace  of  the  soul  that  'passeth 
all  understanding.' }i 

At  that  moment  the  Governor  dropped  her  hands; 
extinguished  the  light  in  the  room,  opened  the  door  a 
little  wider,  and  strained  his  ear  to  catch  the  unusual 
sound  that  came  in  from  the  street  below. 

Helen  Hinckley  knew  at  once  the  meaning  of  the 
sound,  and  said :  "I  must  not  delay  longer  telling  you 
the  object  of  my  call." 

As  these  two  people  (whose  souls  had  sought  each 
other  through  two  other  lives  and  failed  utterly  to 
find  the  other,  from  the  simple  fact  that  their  material 
environments  were  such  that  their  very  souls  had  no 
power  to  break  through  the  terrible  prison  house  in 
which  they  seemed  to  be  encased,  and  fly  to  the  arms  of 
its  counterpart)  stood  in  the  dark  doorway,  Helen 
Hinckley  told  the  Governor  all  that  had  happened  be 
tween  herself  and  Harriet  Motuble. 

It  was  the  dearest  moment  of  his  life  when  he  felt 
her  warm  breath  upon  his  cheek,  while  she  whispered 
the  story  in  his  ear. 


178        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"A  strange  creature,  that  Harriet  Motuble;  a 
very  strange  creature,"  he  whispered  in  reply. 

"She  is  more  daring  now  than  in  the  other  life.  She 
is  a  woman  to  be  avoided.  When  one  is  so  constituted 
that  the  association  with  a  person  harms  him,  instead 
of  doing  him  good,  the  best  plan  is  to  keep  at  a  re 
spectable  distance,  and  do  the  person  all  the  good  possi 
ble  from  that  distance.  But  hark !  What  is  that  ?" 
she  concluded,  as  she  clutched  the  Governor's  arm  in 
her  fright.  > 

They  stepped  out  on  the  small  balcony  and  both  lis 
tened  breathlessly. 

The  Governor  replied :  "It  was  the  Deport  of  a  gun. 
Ah,  there  is  another,  and  another.  Hark!  the  police 
are  after  them." 

"The  Executive  Mansion  is  well  guarded  by  the  sol 
diers.  I  do  not  believe  that  they  will  be  able  to  enter 
the  house.  The  unguarded  moment  is  the  dangerous 
time,  your  Honor,"  said  Helen  Hinckley,  as  she 
stepped  into  the  room  and  gently  led  the  Governor  with 
her. 

"On  the  subject  of  guarding  my  house,"  replied  his 
Honor,  "I  gave  strict  orders  that  no  extras  should  guard 
me  or  be  placed  around  my  property.  It  is  my  duty,  as 
the  official  head  of  this  great  State,  to  protect  the  lives 
and  property  of  private  citizens.  The  officers  of  the 
law  will  do  their  duty  if  there  be  an  uprising,  which 
I  can  hardly  believe  will  take  place.  I  am  not  a 
coward.  I  will  not  run  and  leave  my  people  to  face  the 
trouble  alone." 

"What  you  have  said  is  quite  true,  and  no  one  would 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  179 

expect  any  less  from  your  Honor,"  replied  Helen 
Hinckley;  "but  there  is  an  old  law  concerning  self 
preservation.  Your  Honor  recalls  it,  does  he  not? 
Yes?  Well,  then,  you  may  be  compelled,  in  order  to 
carry  out  the  law,  to  keep  out  of  sight  of  these  fanatics 
— these  would-be  revolutionists — until  they  are  taught 
to  remember — until  they  see  the  power  of  the  Light 
Divine." 

"Hist!  hist!"  both  the  Governor  and  Helen  Hinck 
ley  heard  the  warning  which  came  through  a  door  that 
led  into  the  room  where  they  stood,  from  an  adjoining 
room. 

In  another  instant,  the  clear,  piping  voice  of  the  old 
man  who  had  uttered  such  revolutionary  sentiments  at 
the  meeting  of  these  disturbers  of  peace,  called  out  in 
hushed  tones:  "Find  him,  boys;  find  him.  He's  not 
in  his  bed.  I  thrust  daggers  all  over  it.  Then  I 
climbed  on  it  and  crushed  my  heels  on  every  part  of 
it;  but  he  was  not  there.  Our  brave  leaders  are  be 
hind  the  bars,  boys,  and  we  are  handicapped.  Now  this 
imposter  and  enemy  of  the  church  must  die!  Come, 
boys.  Forward,  march!" 

Helen  Hinckley  pulled  the  Governor's  ear  close  to  her 
mouth,  and  said:  "Your  Honor,  to  stay  here  means 
instant  death.  The  physical  power  of  two  people 
against  one  hundred  or  more  is  of  no  avail.  Come; 
you  must  leave  this  room  with  me  through  the  outside 
door.  You  must  this  moment  feel  the  force  of  being 
able  to  overcome  the  law  of  gravitation.  Slip  your 
hands  under  the  strap  across  the  back  of  this  small 
propeller;  step  on  top  of  the  railing  on  the  balcony; 


180        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

trust  me ;  do  what  I  whisper  into  your  ear,  and  we  will 
escape.  You  must  come,  if  not  for  your  own  sake,  for 
mine,"  she  concluded. 

"I  will  go,  my  life,  for  your  sake,"  said  the  Governor, 
his  voice  full  of  emotion. 

At  once  Helen  Hinckley  led  him  onto  the  balcony. 
He  stepped  with  her  on  top  of  the  railing.  He  put 
the  cap  of  his  long  black  dressing  gown  over  his  head, 
and  with  no  support  except  the  arm  of  Helen  Hinck 
ley,  which  she  had  quietly  slipped  through  his,  he 
walked  out  with  his  companion  into  space. 

The  leader  of  the  revolutionary  party  and  his  many 
followers,  who  were  seeking  his  life,  at  that  moment 
stepped  into  the  room  they  had  just  left.  The  cool 
breeze  of  the  early  morning  rushed  in  through  the  open 
door,  feeling  which,  the  old  man  at  once  exclaimed: 
"He  has  escaped ;  a  door  is  open,  if  I  am  not  mistaken. 
A  light  will  soon  settle  the  question." 

No  sooner  was  the  idea  given  voice,  than  several  of 
the  men  present  pressed  the  end  of  the  miniature  torches 
they  carried  in  their  pockets,  and  instantly  the  room 
was  ablaze  with  light.  With  these  small  torches  in 
hand  they  rushed  to  the  open  door,  with  the  vain  hope 
that  they  might  catch  the  runaway. 

"We  are  misled,"  piped  the  old  man.  "No  human 
being  could  have  escaped  from  this  small  balcony,  with 
out  the  use  of  ropes  and  ladders.  And  none  are  here. 
We  are  misled!  We  are  misled.  Forward — march!" 
he  cried,  after  military  fashion.  "We  will  search 
every  nook  and  corner  of  this  great  mansion,  until  we 
find  him.  We  will  not  be  stopped.  We  are  powerful, 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  181 

and  will  slay  every  one  in  our  path  who  objects  to  the 
course  we  are  taking." 

The  old  man  was  frantic — frantic  from  the  thought 
that  they  might  fail  in  taking  the  life  of  the  Governor. 

He  stalked  into  the  hall  followed  by  the  other 
marauders,  all  of  whom  seemed  determined  to  de 
molish  and  otherwise  ruin  as  much  of  the  house  fur 
nishings  as  possible. 

After  completing  the  entire  circuit  of  the  rooms  on 
that  floor,  they  started  toward  the  wide  staircase  to 
descend  to  the  floor  below  for  further  search. 

At  the  head  of  the  stairs  they  suddenly  came  to  a 
standstill,  and  all  trembled  with  fright  at  what  they 
saw. 

The  brave  old  man  who  was  only  a  moment  ago  so 
courageously  leading  his  warriors  to  battle  beheld  a 
child  in  white  standing  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  with 
arms  outstretched,  and  he  cried :  "Jesus  and  Mary  de 
fend  me !  This  spirit  is  sent  to  warn  us  of  death. 
Oh,  oh."  He  immediately  fell  upon  his  knees  and 
buried  his  face  in  his  hands.  His  followers  stood  still 
and  watched  the  figure  before  them  in  breathless  fear. 

"I  am  no  spirit,"  said  the  child,  Catalina  Martinet 
— for  it  was  she  who  stood  before  them — "but  I  have 
been  one,  and  in  that  other  life  which  ended  so 
strangely  for  me,  I  knew  you,  poor  old  man.  How 
well  I  remember  seeing  you  in  the  yard  of  the  cathedral 
and  watching  you  and  a  boy  pull  the  rope  which  rang 
the  bell  in  the  high  tower  of  the  cathedral.  At  the 
same  time  you  helped  to  pull  the  rope,  several  boys  in 
the  tower  beat  the  big,  old  bell  with  sticks." 


182        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Ah,  Jesus  and  Mary,  save  me!  This  is  a  spirit,  I 
am  sure,"  cried  the  old  man. 

"I  repeat,"  said  Catalina,  "I  am  not  a  spirit  now, 
but  I  was  once.  Now  I  live  again,  again!  Old  man, 
I  recall  how  the  very  sight  of  you  pulling  the  old  rope 
made  me  tremble  with  fear,  if  I  had  committed  the 
slightest  deed  contrary  to  the  priest's  teachings  and 
had  not  confessed.  You  remember,  do  you  not,  old 
man?" 

The  only  reply  vouchsafed  was  a  shake  of  the  head 
and  a  groan. 

"No?"  she  continued.  "Then  you  shall  remember, 
Senor  Antonio  Noriega,  the  time  you  broke  your  leg 
when  you  were  a  very,  very  old  man,  and  you  lay  in  the 
little  dark  adobe  room  back  of  the  cathedral  and  died 
for  want  of  attention.  Say,  Senor  Noriega,  you  need 
to  remember.  There  needs  be  an  awakening  of  your 
soul;  now  is  a  good  time  for  the  beginning.  Arise, 
sir;  leave  this  house  this  very  moment  and  cease  your 
evil  designs." 

The  old  man  stricken  with  horror,  arose  and  in  a 
trembling  voice,  said:  "It  is  the  voice  of  a  spirit.  I 
am  warned.  Oh,  that  my  eyes  were  open,  that  I  might 
see !" 

"Here,  old  man,"  cried  one  of  the  fellows  present, 
"don't  get  scared  and  leave  us  at  this  early  stage  of  the 
game.  Remember,  we  are  out  for  revenge." 

"Come,"  said  the  clear,  sweet  voice  of  the  child 
Catalina.  "You  must  leave  the  Governor's  house  this 
very  moment.  Arise !  Forward — march !  Take  this 
bottle,  Senor  Antonio  Noriega,  and  when  you  step  your 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  183 

foot  on  the  public  street,  drink  its  contents.  Then  re 
member;  you  will  live  again,  and  you  will  see  things 
not  seen  by  the  eye,  and  hear  things  not  heard  by  the 
ear." 

The  old  man  clutched  the  bottle  tightly  in  his  hand, 
and  started  down  the  steps  at  a  lively  pace. 

Quietly  and  without  a  word  the  men  followed.  On 
reaching  the  door  that  led  into  the  vestibule,  the  en 
tire  party  were  surprised  on  being  commanded  to  sur 
render. 

Antonio  Noriega  gave  up  his  arms  at  the  first  com 
mand  ;  but  such  was  not  the  case  with  the  others.  For 
a  few  moments  a  hard  fight  was  waged  between  the 
officers  of  law  and  the  revolutionary  party. 

In  the  confusion  and  darkness,  several  offenders  of 
law  escaped  from  the  house,  but  were  closely  pursued 
by  officers.  The  others  were  taken  in  custody  by  the 
soldiers  and  policemen  present,  and  conveyed  to  jail. 

At  the  moment  the  old  man  stepped  from  the  Gov 
ernor's  Mansion  onto  the  public  street,  Catalina  Mar 
tinet  cried:  "Senor  Antonio  Noriega,"  and  he  raised 
the  small  bottle  to  his  lips  and  drained  it  empty. 
"Remember,  remember" 

Different  members  of  the  revolutionary  party  cursed 
in  an  undertone,  "Memory  Fluid,"  all  occult  s^ence, 
its  devotees,  and  the  administrators  of  law  in  general. 

Astheflast  man  disappeared  from  view,  Catalina  Mar 
tinet  cried:  "I  will  make  them  all  live.  I  will  get 
many  vials,  fill  them  with  'Memory  Fluid/  and  when 
the  sun  makes  the  day  very  bright,  I  will  take  them 
iD  a  small  basket,  and  go  out  amongst  these  people, 


184        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

who  are  alive,  yet  do  not  live,  and  as  I  hand  a  vial  to 
each  man  who  looks  vicious,  I  will  say:  'Drink  this 
and  live.'  And  when  enough  men  drink  the  fluid,  the 
war  which  is  going  to  be  will  be  stopped.  Come,  Juan, 
take  me  upstairs.  I  am  sleepy  and  I  want  a  bowl  of 
milk." 

Juan  had  stood  close  by  during  the  affray,  possibly 
too  frightened  to  move;  and  now  that  Catalina  spoke 
to  him,  he  moved  forward  and  cried:  "Your  Honor, 
the  child  is  not  human.  I  must  leave  your  service." 

Catalina  clutched  his  arm  tightly,  and  in  a  fit  of 
childish  glee,  said :  "See,  Juan ;  I  am  Catalina,  a  big, 
healthy  child.  I  was  a  spirit  once,  but  now  I  am  flesh 
and  blood.  Come  on,  Juan,  take  me  upstairs;  then 
get  me  a  bowl  of  milk.  I  am  hungry.  Come  on, 
Juan;  I  am  not  a  ghost.  I  am  poor  Catalina.  I  am 
tired  and  hungry,  Juan.  Carry  me."  She  raised  her 
arms  up  to  him.  Without  a  word  he  lifted  her  in  his 
arms,  and  hurried  with  her  to  the  little  room  adjoin 
ing  the  housekeeper's;  which  was  on  her  arrival  fur 
nished  with  every  article  for  childish  comfort  and 
pleasure  that  could  be  found  in  Chihuahua.  Strange 
to  say,  the  house  which  only  a  few  moments  ago  was 
filled  with  violators  of  the  law  whose  intent  was  mur 
der,  was  now  so  still,  that  a  person  stepping  into  the 
home  of  the  Governor,  could  hardly  imagine  that  such 
a  state  of  affairs  ever  could  have  existed  in  such  a 
quiet  and  magnificently  appointed  home.  Catalina 
fell  asleep  in  Juan's  arms,  and  the  slumber  of  the 
healthy  child  whose  breath  fell  gently  on  his  cheek, 
was  the  one  demonstrated  fact  that  she  was  a  child  of 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  185 

flesh  and  blood  and  very  human,  notwithstanding  she 
might  be  a  novice  in  spiritual  attainments.  He  was 
convinced  of  the  human  part,  however,  and  smiled  to 
himself,  as  he  laid  her  on  the  bed,  at  the  fright  she 
had  given  him.  Her  head  had  no  sooner  touched  the 
bed  than  she  opened  her  eyes,  and  said :  "Juan,  bring 
me  a  bowl  of  warm  milk,  please.  I  am  hungry — 
hungry — hungry." 

Juan  replied,  at  the  same  moment  turning  his  head 
to  hide  a  smile:  "Muchacha  mia,  Juan  will  bring  you 
a  bowl,  muy  grande,  at  that,  de  lecJie  caliente." 

"Stay,  Juan,"  she  cried,  as  he  stepped  into  the  hall. 
"You  are  not  afraid  of  me  now,  are  you?" 

"No,  no,  child.  You  are  a  very,  very  lively  little 
girl  and  no  spirit.  Of  that  fact  I  am  fully  satisfied. 
I  am  going  now  for  the  milk.  Good-bye,  sweet  child. 
Juan  is  your  friend." 

"Juan  is  a  strange  old  fellow,"  said  Catalina,  as  she 
cuddled  down  on  her  little  bed.  "He  was  afraid  of 
me  because  he  thought  me  a  spirit.  I  wish  my  dear 
papa  was  here.  I  will  go  and  find  him  as  soon  as  it  is 
very  light.  If  all  these  people  could  only  rem*.  Briber, 
there  never  would  be  a  bloody  war.  I  must  find  Miss 
Helen  Hinckley  and  Miss  Marriet  Motuble.  She  be 
friended  me  in  the  other  life  and  built  a  very  large, 
nice  tomb  for  me  when  I  died.  She  was  very,  very 
good  to  me,  but  she  is  queer;  silly,  I  think  now.  I 
heard  papa  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  and  Julio 
Murillo  say  she  pretended  to  die  and  be  buried  in  the 
Motuble  tomb,  where  I  was  placed,  and  when  they  went 
there  to  see  the  body,  they  found  in  the  coffin — only 


186        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

a  waxen  figure.  I  wonder  why  she  pretended  to  die 
and  didn't.  I  wonder  if  she  thought  some  one  would 
cry — my  papa,  I  suspect — and  she  would  only  make 
believe  she  was  dead,  to  see  who  cared  or  would  cry. 
Papa  would  cry,  I  know,  if  I  were  dead.  I  believe  I 
will  die  and  see.  I  will  wait,  though,  till  Juan  gets 
my  warm  milk;  for  I  am  awful  hungry.  It  is  think 
ing  about  the  ugly  war  and  those  wicked  men  who  were 
just  here,  that  made  me  want  my  hot  milk  this  early 
in  the  morning."  At  that  moment  Juan  entered  the 
room,  bringing  a  bowl  of  hot  milk  and  a  plate  of 
shredded  graham  bread,  and  placed  it  on  a  little  table 
by  the  side  of  her  bed. 

She  drank  part  of  the  milk,  and  laying  her  head 
back  on  the  pillow,  said:  "Juan,  would  you  cry  if  I 
were  to  die  now  ?" 

Juan  was  startled,  and  replied:  "Now  you  are  go 
ing  to  scare  me  again.  Because  you  remember,  and  say 
you  lived  here  once  before,  it's  no  sign  that  if  you  die 
now  and  ever  live  again,  that  you  will  remember.  You 
would  better  hold  on  as  long  as  you  can,  now  that  you 
are  here.  You  are  a  little  girl,  and  young;  you  have 
no  business  talking  about  dying.  God  did  not  make 
you  to  kill  yourself.  You  drink  the  rest  of  the  milk 
before  it  gets  cold,  and  go  to  sleep." 

"Juan,"  continued  Catalina,  "if  you  would  be  sorry, 
then  how  much  more  sorry  my  papa  and  Miss  Hinckley 
would  be." 

"I  suppose  your  mamma  would  be  very  sorry  too; 
and  his  Honor  would  be  most  distracted  if  you  died 
so  young.  He  has  taken  the  greatest  fancy  to  you  of 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  187 

anyone  since  I  came  into  his  service;  and  that  was 
when  I  was  a  very  young  man.  You  don't  know  what 
a  good  place  you  have,  little  girl,  and  my  advice  is  to 
stay  close  to  it  while  you  can,"  concluded  Juan,  with  a 
bob  of  his  head. 

"Listen,  Juan,"  continued  the  child.  "I  feel  like  I 
must  die.  I  will  die  at  once.  Come  close  to  me.  Sit 
in  this  chair,  and  you  can  see  how  I  do  it." 

Juan  took  a  seat  by  her  little  bed,  not  because  he 
wanted  to,  but  from  the  fact  that  he  could  not  resist 
her  influence. 

"I  mean,  Juan,  his  Honor,  the  Governor.  He  is 
my  papa,  you  know,  and  would  be  very  sorry  if  I  were 
to  die.  The  man  and  woman  into  whose  family  I 
was  born  are  nothing  to  me  now.  I  never  cared  much 
for  them,  nor  they  for  me;  so  no  one  there  will  cry. 
Why,  Juan  I  took  them  a  bottle  of  'Memory  Fluid/ 
and  tried  to  get  them  to  take  it,  so  they  could  remem 
ber  and  we  all  could  be  happy.  I  could  not  be  staying 
with  people  who  only  care  for  this  life.  Persons  who 
see  the  things  only  seen  by  the  eye." 

"Goodness !"  exclaimed  Juan,  rising.  "How  can 
anyone  see  except  with  their  eyes  ?  Child,  you  are  talk 
ing  about  things  you  know  nothing  of.  Drink  your 
milk  and  go  to  sleep.  I  can't  stay  here  much  longer 
a-humoring  you.  I've  got  to  attend  to  Serior  Murillo," 
concluded  Juan,  rising. 

"Sit  down,  Juan,  sit  down,"  quietly  said  Catalina; 
and  Juan  obeyed  meekly. 

"Great  One,  who  lives  here  and  everywhere,  who 
knows  all  and  causes  all,  speak  to  me.  Advise  me. 


188        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Will  I  be  interfering  with  my  soul,  will  light  be  shut 
out  from  me;  will  I  be  in  the  way  of  anyone  seeing 
things  not  seen  by  the  eyes,  if  I  leave  the  matter  we  call 
a  body,  and  go  to  you?  The  people  into  whose  family 
I  was  born  are  harming  me,  and  I,  a  little  girl,  am  not 
strong  enough  in  will  or  in  knowledge  of  law  to  make 
them  follow  me."  Turning  to  Juan  she  continued: 
"I  have  not  been  answered  yet,  Juan,  but  I  feel  as  if 
I  must  go;  but  I  will  come  back,  I  will  come  back, 
and  his  Honor,  his  Honor  will  be  my  papa.  See,  Juan, 
I  am  going." 

"Oh,  don't  go  yet,"  cried  Juan;  "there  is  the  bell. 
I  must  answer  it." 

Catalina  sat  up  in  bed,  and  as  Juan  left  the  room, 
called:  "Don't  be  gone  a  moment,  Juan.  I  want  to  go 
away."  Then  to  herself  she  continued :  "It  is  not  right 
for  me  to  have  been  born  into  a  family  that  do  not 
know  me,  that  do  not  know  the  other  world,  and  who 
do  not  remember.  I  cannot  be  happy.  I  must  live 
again.  Great  One  above,  shall  I  come?"  She  leaned 
her  head  upon  the  little  pillow  encased  in  a  dainty 
linen  slip,  and  remained  perfectly  silent.  When 
Juan  opened  the  door  a  few  moments  later,  and  rushed 
into  the  room,  she  sat  upright,  and  before  he  had  time 
to  speak,  said:  "Juan,  I  am  not  going  now.  I  can 
help  his  Honor.  I  can  help  others.  I  can  give  many 
'Memory  Fluid';  but  before  the  cruel  war  ends,  I  will 
leave  and  come  again." 

"I  am  almost  out  of  breath,  I  hurried  so  fast  to  get 
back  before  you  could  die.  I  got  some  terrible  news. 
It  came  from  the  President,  and  as  his  Honor  was  not 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  189 

here,  Senor  Julio  Murillo  opened  the  dispatch  and 
translated  the  ciphers.  He  believes  there  will  be  trouble 
all  over  the  States.  He  says  he  will  telephone  him  per 
sonally  in  a  few  hours,  and  on  his  arrival  in  Washing 
ton  if  the  revolutionists  are  gaining  in  number  and 
giving  more  trouble,  the  army  will  be  called  out,  and 
peace  will  soon  be  restored.  His  Honor  is  not  in  the 
mansion,  and  everyone  but  Senor  Julio  Murillo  fears 
that  some  harm  has  befallen  him." 

"Oh,  no;  not  everyone,"  cried  Catalina.  "I  am 
not  afraid  he  is  harmed.  He  is  with  Helen  Hinckley 
and  safe.  She  loves  him.  Senor  Julio  knows  where 
they  are,  but  I  do  not;  but  I  can  find  them.  Go  on, 
Juan.  I  am  going  to  sleep;  the  warm  milk  is  taking 
effect.  I  will  sleep,  but  not  die  for  some  time  to  come ; 
not  until  I  feel  that  I  have  done  all  possible  good. 
Then  I  will  go  and  come  back  again,  and  then  you  will 
know  me;  you  will  not  be  dead,  but  you  will  remember. 
Go  on,  Juan;  I  am  going  to  sleep.  Tell  his  Honor, 
if  you  should  see  him  before  I  do,  not  to  be  alarmed, 
if  he  does  not  see  me  for  a  few  days.  T  will  be  very 
busy  while  the  struggle  lasts;  at  least,  while  it  lasts  in 
Chihuahua.  Many  are  needed  to  spread  'Memory 
Fluid.'  It  will  have  more  effect  in  spreading  truth 
abroad  and  quelling  the  war  at  hand,  than  millions  of 
guns.  I  am  needed  to  keep  my  eye  upon  several ' 
whom  his  Honor  will  pass  by,  now  that  the  lives  of 
his  people  are  in  danger.  I  will  be  a  detective,  Juan, 
and  because  I  am  a  child  no  one  will  mind  me  being 
around.  There  is  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas/  Mrs. 
Grange,  and  Marriet  Motuble,  who  need  the  eye  of  the 


190        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

law  upon  them,  but  on  account  of  the  trouble  caused 
by  Don  Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  Father  Hernan 
dez  and  Rev.  J.  T.  Note,  they  will  be  forgotten.  It  is 
my  duty  to  see  to  them,  and  I  will  perform  my  duty 
well.  Go  on,  Juan;  I  am  very  sleepy." 

The  little  fair  head  again  fell  back  against  the  pil 
lows,  and  in  the  few  moments  Juan  stood  by  silently 
watching,  she  fell  into  a  sound  slumber. 

"She  is  flesh  and  blood,"  he  soliloquized,  standing 
quietly  by  her  bedside  looking  upon  her  plump,  childish 
face.  "Yes,  she  is  flesh  and  blood ;  but  she  has  a  great 
spirit  in  her.  She  is  unlike  other  children.  I  am 
afraid  of  her,  yet  I  know  she  is  only  a  child.  She  is 
a  prophet.  I  will  take  'Memory  Fluid,'  then  I  can  see 
things  not  seen  by  the  eyes.  Ah,  there  is  the  bell 
again,  again,  again ;  something  out  of  the  usual  is  hap 
pening."  Juan  quietly  and  quickly  left  the  room.  In 
the  hall  he  met  Julio  Murillo,  walking  faster  than  he 
had  ever  known  him  to  walk  before.  On  seeing  Juan 
he  cried: 

"I  leave  orders  not  to  admit  anyone  to  the  house 
to-day.  Under  no  circumstances  will  this  order  be 
countermanded.  I  will  leave  by  a  private  entrance. 
No  one  will  see  me  go  nor  return.  Senor  Guillermo 
Gonzales  alone  will  occupy  the  Governor's  private  study 
until  my  return.  Under  no  circumstances  intrude  on 
him.  He  must  not  be  worried  about  me,  nor  by  anyone 
asking  questions;  and  it  is  your  business  to  keep  quiet, 
and  guard  the  house  well,  and  his  Honor's  interests  in 
general,  until  I  return." 

Juan  replied:     "Trust  me,  senor.     I  have  never  yet 


The  Peace  of  the  Soul.  191 

betrayed  his  Honor  or  his  interests.  The  hour  is  very 
early;  you  have  not  had  your  morning  meal.  His 
Honor  would  not  forgive  me  if  a  guest  left  his  home, 
even  if  the  hour  be  four,  without  his  customary  meal. 
Recline  here,  senor,  and  in  a  very  few  minutes  I  will 
return  with  a  lunch  just  fitted  to  this  early  hour." 

"Your  advice  is  good,  Juan.  I  will  accept  your  hos 
pitality.  But  be  quick;  every  moment  counts  now.  I 
have  located  the  three  men  who  were  last  night  con 
fined  in  jail,  on  a  charge  of  treason,  and  who  escaped 
less  than  an  hour  ago.  While  I  had  no  trouble  in 
locating  them,  there  will  be  much  difficulty  in  getting 
them  again  behind  the  prison  bars.  You  are  right, 
Juan ;  I  will  need  my  morning  meal  before  attempting 
their  arrest.  Bring  me  a  bowl  of  hot  milk,  a  plate  of 
buttered  toast,  and  two  soft-boiled  eggs,  and  bring  it 
quickly,  Juan.  The  revolution  is  inevitable,  and  we 
must  face  it  like  men  and  stop  it;  if  possible,  without 
bloodshed.  Yes,  I  will  wait,  Juan,  just  fifteen  min 
utes." 

As  Juan  passed  from  the  presence  of  Senor  Julio 
Murillo,  he  gave  a  sharp,  low  whistle,  his  only  means  to 
express  the  great  surprise  he  had  just  received. 

"Well,  this  is  a  nice  state  of  things.  The  Governor 
spirited  away,  the  prisoners  escaped,  Catalina  on  the 
eve  of  dying,  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas'  gone  again,  a 
woman  arising  from  the  dead,  and  a  war  on  hand,  all 
at  the  same  time.  Yes,  a  strange  world.  I  don't 
believe  I  will  know  as  much  as  I  do  now,  if  I  do  not 
stop  thinking  so  much  about  all  of  these  strange  things. 
1  don't  believe  I  will  take  'Memory  Fluid.'  I  will  have 


192        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

no  time  then  to  do  anything  but  remember  everything 
that  happened  when  I  lived  before.  I  really  wonder  if 
I  have  lived  before,  or  more  than  once.  How  funny  it 
would  be  to  remember  four  or  five  different  lives.  As 
soon  as  I  get  Senor  Julio  Murillo's  breakfast  to  him, 
and  he  is  well  out  of  the  house,  I  will  experiment  with 
'Memory  Fluid/  I  will  be  a  subject.  Oh,  I  wonder 
who  I  was  when  I  lived  before?  Ha!  ha!  ha!  ha! 
Wouldn't  it  be  a  great  joke  if  I  was  in  my  first  life  a 
president?  Maybe  I  was  George  Washington,  or  the 
Mexican  President,  Santa  Ana.  Yes,  that  is  a  great 
joke.  I  have  my  own  curiosity  up,  and  will  drink  a 
gallon  of  that  'Memory  Fluid/  if  it  will  make  me  re 
member." 

Juan  strode  on  toward  the  kitchen  hurriedly,  to  give 
the  order  for  Senor  Julio  Murillo's  breakfast,  and  then 
sat  down  on  a  stool  and  deeply  meditated,  upon  the 
subject  of  "Memory  Fluid." 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  193 


CHAPTEK  XIV. 

MEETING   IN   THE   ALAMEDA. 

SENOB  JULIO  MURILLO  reclined  on  a  comfortable 
couch  in  the  large  reception-hall  on  the  second  floor 
of  the  Governor's  stately  mansion,  to  await  the  return 
of  Juan. 

"I  see,"  he  mentally  commented,  "the  end  of  this 
revolution  which  has  just  begun.  If  those  who  pre 
cipitated  the  mad  act  were  told  now  what  the  final 
would  be,  they  would  have  no  faith  in  what  was  told 
them  being  true,  and  would  leave  nothing  undone  to 
carry  out  their  present  intentions.  There  is  no  way  of 
dealing  with  those  who  have  no  knowledge  outside  of 
physical  self,  except  by  physical  force.  It  is  a 
lamentable  condition  of  affairs  to  those  who  cannot  see 
the  end.  To  me  it  is  of  no  concern  whatever,  except 
that  I  hate  to  see  the  suffering  of  humanity.  There  is 
always  a  certain  sympathy,  which  the  initiated  have 
with  those  who  do  not  know  the  Law.  The  spread  of 
Free  Thought  during  the  last  century,  caused  by  scien 
tific  investigations,  particularly  in  the  spirit  realm,  has 
been  wonderful.  Such  a  very  great  decrease  in  crime 
has  never  been  known,  or  at  least  has  never  been 
recorded  since  the  beginning  of  time,  as  that  shown 


194        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

during  the  last  fifty  years.  The  wane  of  the  power  of 
the  priest  and  the  pastor,  and  the  great  diffusion  of 
scientific  truths  concerning  the  realm  of  the  hidden 
is  accountable  for  it.  I  will  not  do  my  duty  if  I  fail 
to  relieve  the  sufferings  of  those  who  do  not  know,  of 
those  who  can  only  see  the  things  seen  by  the  eye. 
Here  comes  Juan,  poor  fellow.  I  wish  he  could  see  the 
hidden.  He  is  on  the  road  and  will  soon  know,  however. 
Is  it  he  ?  Are  my  physical  eyes  failing  me  ?  It  cannot  be ; 
the  figure  is  too  large  and  does  not  move  like  a  domes 
tic;  still,  Juan  has  much  spirit.  It  is  Senor  Guil- 
lermo  Gonzales.  Ha !  ha !  what  a  start  he  gave  me." 

He  started  to  rise  to  greet  the  person  coming  toward 
him  whom  he  thought  to  be  his  scientific  coworker, 
when  he  uttered  a  startled  exclamation  and  fell  quietly 
back  in  the  deep  shadows,  amongst  the  pillows  on  the 
couch. 

"It  approaches  with  the  caution  and  tread  of  Mac 
beth.  It  is  not  a  spirit.  It  is  of  flesh  and  blood,  and 
is  here  for  no  good  purpose.  To  me  it  will  be  amus 
ing  from  this  moment  on,  to  watch  the  many  nefari 
ous  people  who  will  try  to  end  this  physical  existence 
of  the  good  and  great  Governor.  If  they  knew  what 
I  know,  they  would  certainly  save  themselves  the 
trouble.  The  light  in  the  early  morning  is  very  un 
certain,  yet  the  outlines  of  face  and  figure  I  cannot  dis 
cern  with  the  physical  eye,  is  plain  through  the  eye 
of  intuition.  And  I  see  the  much-disguised  figure  of 
Harriet  Motuble,  the  invincible.  I  must  not  be  dis 
covered  here,  or  half  the  pleasure  of  knowing  the  ob 
ject  of  her  early  call  will  be  lost.  From  a  physical 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  195 

sense  of  view,  to  follow  her  over  the  house  will  be  inter 
esting.  Ah,  where  is  she  going  now  ?  She  stops.  She 
listens.  I  wonder  what  she  hears  ?  Can  it  be  that  she 
hears  my  breathing,  or  feels  the  vibrations  of  my 
thoughts?  I  hope  not;  for  if  either  be  the  case,  this 
interesting  scene  will  be  denied  me.  She  goes  toward 
his  Honor's  private  bedroom.  The  lay  of  the  rooms 
are  well  denned  in  her  mind.  What  is  it  she  carries 
in  her  right  hand?  Now  she  raises  it.  The  door  is 
opening.  She  will  not  waste  a  shot,  I  am  quite  sure. 
When  she  finds  the  Governor  is  not  in  his  apartment, 
she  will  be  disappointed,  and  hurry  out  for  fear  of  be 
ing  discovered,  but  not  by  this  door;  the  more  private 
one  at  the  end  of  the  suite  will  suit  her  purposes,  I 
fancy,  much  better.  I  will  have  Juan  follow  and 
catch  her  if  possible.  I  will  have  him  fasten  all  the 
doors  securely  and  bar  the  windows.  She  will  lead 
him  a  lively  chase;  but  then  he  will  be  otherwise  occu 
pied  than  studying  and  worrying  over  the  absence  of 
his  Honor.  Here  he  is  now." 

Juan  placed  the  breakfast  on  a  table  near  the  couch, 
and  said:  "Fifteen  minutes  is  a  long  time  to  spend 
in  preparing  so  simple  a  meal.  I  hope,  I  hope  I  have 
not  tired  your  patience." 

"It  makes  no  difference;  in  fact,  I  am  glad  I  was 
detained.  I  have  another  commission  for  you,"  said 
Seiior  Julio  Murillo.  "You  know  the  large,  aggressive 
senorita  Harriet  Motuble,  do  you  not?" 

"I  do,  sir;  I  do.  She  frightened  me  badly  once.  I 
will  tell  you  about  it,"  said  Juan. 

"At  some  other  time,  Juan,"  replied  Senor  Julio 


196        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Murillo.  "We  have  no  time  to  lose.  She  is  in  the 
house  at  this  moment,  intent  on  no  good  purpose.  See 
that  she  does  not  get  out  of  the  house.  Tell  her  you 
have  orders  not  to  open  the  doors  under  twenty-four 
hours.  Follow  her,  Juan.  She  must  not  escape." 

"But  you,  sir.  I  cannot  leave  you  unserved," 
pleaded  Juan,  expressing  the  hope  that  he  might  not 
have  to  follow  Harriet  Motuble. 

"I  need  no  more  service,  Juan.  In  ten  minutes  I 
will  have  completed  my  breakfast  and  he  gone.  You 
have  no  time  to  lose;  the  house  must  be  securely  fas 
tened,  for  the  senorita  is  as  sly  as  a  fox,  and  will 
escape  if  double  caution  is  not  quickly  secured.  It  is 
necessary  to  detain  this  woman,  from  more  points  of 
view  than  one.  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,  Juan, 
except  for  you  to  go." 

Juan's  head  fell  low,  and  without  a  word  he  walked 
slowly  in  the  direction  Harriet  Hotuble  had  disap 
peared. 

Julio  Hurillo  finished  his  meal  quickly,  descended 
the  stairs  noiselessly,  and  in  an  instant  had  disap 
peared  from  the  house. 

Juan  encountered  the  aggressive  senorita  sooner  than 
he  had  calculated.  Evidently  the  many  rooms  and 
openings  on  the  floor  had  confused  her,  and  she  had 
lost  her  bearings.  And  now  as  she  was  retracing  her 
steps,  no  doubt  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  private 
stairway  which  led  to  a  door  opening  onto  the  back 
lawn,  she  faced  Juan  before  either  was  aware  of  the 
presence  of  the  other. 

The  invincible  senorita  was  equal  to  the  emergency, 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  197 

but  Juan  fell  over  against  a  wall,  trembling  and 
frightened,  and  prayed  that  she  would  pass  him  unob 
served. 

Again  he  was  doomed  to  disappointment,  for  in 
stead  of  passing  him  unobserved,  or  if  observed,  hur 
rying  by  him  in  the  hope  of  escaping  without  being 
detected,  the  very  instant  she  saw  him  she  walked 
bravely  up,  and  slapping  him  on  the  shoulder,  said: 

"Hello,  Juan.  You  seem  to  have  been  on  guard  all 
night,  or  else  something  unusual  has  happened  to  get 
you  up  at  this  early  hour.  Come,  Juan,  you  are  my 
friend ;  let  me  into  your  secret.  I  mean,  of  course,  the 
secret  of  the  household." 

"Well,"  replied  Juan,  with  some  spirit,  as  he  pushed 
her  hand  off  his  shoulder  and  moved  away  from  her, 
"you  seem  to  know  more  about  this  house  than  I  do." 

"Ha !  ha !  Juan,"  laughed  the  senorita.  "Ha !  ha ! 
there  are  tricks  in  all  trades,  and  by  the  time  you  have 
lived  through  five  existences  and  remember  everything 
in  each  life  and  take  advantage  of  your  learning,  you 
will  know  more  about  some  things  than  some  other 
people  who  do  not  remember.  Ha!  ha!  Juan,  why 
don't  you  drink  some  of  your  master's  'Memory  Fluid' 
— a  gallon  or  so,  to  start  on?  Ha!  ha!  That 
'Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Bays'  is  wonderful!  It  could 
not  be  otherwise,  as  his  Honor  is  such  a  wonderful  man. 
But  come,  Juan,  tell  me  where  he  is.  In  which 
room?  And  see,  this  is  for  your  trouble."  She  held 
up  a  twenty-dollar  gold  coin,  which  shone  brightly  in 
the  dim  light  of  the  early  morning.  "A  twenty-dollar 
gold  coin  cannot  be  picked  up  every  moment,  Juan. 
Do  you  know  a  good  thing  when  you  see  it?" 


198        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"See  me;  do  you,  miss,  see  me?  Well,  I  will  stand 
here  until  I  starve  to  death,  or  am  killed,  before  I 
would  tell  you  anything  about  his  Honor's  affairs, 
if  you  offered  me  ten  times  that  amount  of  money. 
I  don't  need  any  money.  I  have  plenty  to  eat  and 
wear.  But  I  haven't  time  to  stand  here  in  his  Honor's 
private  bedrooms  talking  to  a  lady  at  this  early  hour 
in  the  morning  or  at  any  other  hour  of  the  day." 

"Well,  well,  omego,  you  are  a  loyal  servant.  I  only 
wanted  to  know  if  his  Honor  has  recovered  from  the 
fright  I  gave  him  a  few  days  ago.  I  really  do  not  re 
call  to  mind  the  exact  date,"  persisted  Miss  Motuble. 

To  which  Juan  replied:  "The  Governor  is  not  so 
easily  frightened  as  you  seem  to  imagine.  You  never 
frightened  him;  you  simply  overpowered  him 
by  means  of  your  superior  physical  force." 

"Whew !"  was  the  surprised  beginning  of  Miss  Motu- 
ble's  reply.  "Whew!  think  of  this  great  logician 
living  all  these  years  in  Chihuahua  and  until  this  mo 
ment  undiscovered.  I  have  done  humanity  a  great  act 
of  kindness  by  coming  up  here,  even  if  my  original 
object  in  coming  was  what  the  physical  world  calls 
villainous." 

"There  has  been  more  than  one  person  here  to-night 
for  the  same  purpose.  But  the  Governor  is  alive  and 
well,  and  will  so  remain  until  the  end  of  time." 

"Juan,"  tantalizingly  replied  Miss  Motuble,  "you 
are  fast  becoming  a  man  of  science.  Association  has 
done  it  all,  Juan — done  it  all." 

At  that  moment  a  small  figure  in  white  appeared  in 
the  room  where  they  stood. 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  199 

"It  is  the  ghost  of  Catalina,"  said  Juan. 

"It  is  no  ghost.  It  is  Catalina  herself.  She  is  a 
somnambulist.  You  do  not  know  what  that  word 
means,  do  you,  Juan  ?  It  means  she  walks  in  her  sleep. 
Come;  we  will  follow  her,"  concluded  Miss  Motuble. 
Catalina  walked  quietly  to  the  far  end  of  the  room  in 
the  direction  she  was  going,  then,  turning  around,  she 
retraced  her  steps  and  entered  her  own  room.  She 
was  closely  followed  by  Harriet  Motuble.  Juan  took 
advantage  of  the  occasion  to  slip  away  unobserved  and 
to  carry  out  the  instructions  of  Julio  Murillo. 

Catalina  climbed  upon  her  little  bed,  and  to  all  ap 
pearances  went  to  sleep.  Marriet  Motuble  wanted  to 
speak  to  the  child,  yet  hesitated.  Going  close  to  the 
bed  and  gazing  intently  on  her  upturned  face,  she  said : 
"She  is  very  much  of  a  child,  indeed.  I  will  not  speak 
to  her.  Juan,  show  me  over  the  house.''  Juan  made 
no  reply,  and  turning  around,  she  discovered  for  the 
first  time  that  he  was  not  present.  "That  is  a  cool  way 
of  treating  a  guest.  I  will  report  the  actions  of  this 
domestic  to  his  Honor  the  first  time  I  meet  him. 
Think  of  it.  I,  Marriet  Motuble,  in  her  sixth  life, 
with  a  full  and  complete  remembrance  of  each,  being 
left  to  pilot  myself  through  the  grand  mansion  of  the 
great  Governor  of  Chihuahua.  It  seems  that  the  man 
ners  of  domestics,  and  some  people  who  are  not  domes 
tics,  to-day  are  as  much  out  of  order  as  they  were  in 
the  nineteenth  century.  The  nonprogression  of  some 
people  is  not  to  be  accounted  for;  at  least,  I  shall  not 
occupy  my  mind  trying  to  figure  it  out.  There  are 
other  things  of  more  consequence.  For  instance,  were 


200        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

the  revolutionists  successful  in  killing  his  Honor,  and 
his  coworkers  ?  If  so,  where  are  their  bodies  ?  If  not, 
where  are  the  revolutionists?  There  are  no  signs  of 
any  disturbers  of  peace  having  been  here.  I'll  make  a 
hasty  search  through  the  house,  and  quietly  make  my 
exit." 

No  sooner  had  Harriet  Motuble  passed  from  the 
room,  than  Catalina  sprang  from  her  bed,  quickly  put 
on  a  street  dress,  and  in  a  few  minutes  was  out  of 
the  house.  She  passed  on  without  attracting  any  at 
tention. 

The  streets  were  alive  with  trades-people  hurrying 
to  their  respective  places  of  business.  In  the  great 
bustle,  no  one  noticed  the  child.  Harriet  Hotuble,  too, 
evaded  the  guardianship  of  Juan,  and  was  soon  lost  in 
the  crowds  on  the  streets.  Everywhere  there  were 
large  numbers  of  policemen,  and  now  and  then  small 
squads  of  soldiers  hurried  by,  all  of  whom  evidently 
had  a  place  in  view  which  they  were  bent  on  reaching 
at  an  early  hour. 

As  she  wandered  on  and  on  through  one  crowded 
street  after  another,  she  met  here  and  there  a  face 
whom  she  recognized  as  a  revolutionary  sympathizer, 
many  of  whom  had  been  amongst  the  crowd  in  the 
store  room  the  evening  before,  and  heard  her  deliver 
a  sympathetic  speech,  disguised  as  a  man.  Now  none 
of  them  recognized  her.  How  could  they,  when  no 
one  had  any  suspicions  that  the  speaker  of  the  previous 
evening  was  a  woman  in  disguise.  Harriet  Hotuble's 
face  wore  a  look  of  serious  disappointment. 

Approaching  a  small  group  of  men  she  inquired  the 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  201 

hour,  and  on  being  told  it  was  five  o'clock,  she  then 
asked  if  the  morning  paper  was  out  and  what  news 
there  was  about  the  persons  intent  on  disturbing  the 
peace.  Several  expressed  themselves  as  considering  the 
condition  of  affairs  very  alarming;  while  others  who 
joined  the  crowd  thought  the  affair  would  be  of  no 
further  consequence. 

While  the  small  crowd  were  talking,  the  cry  of: 
"All  about  the  Kevolutionists,"  "Prisoners  accused  of 
Treason  against  the  United  States  of  America,"  from 
a  hundred  or  more  news-carriers,  rang  out  loud  and 
long. 

Every  person  present  bought  a  paper,  the  great  daily 
Chihuahuan. 

Harriet  Motuble  opened  her  paper,  and  as  she  walked 
hurriedly  toward  the  Mexican  Annex,  read  to  herself: 

"Seventy-five  of  the  revolutionary  party  traced  by 
detectives  to  the  home  of  Governor  Lehumada,  where 
all  but  a  few,  who  escaped  during  the  trouble  which 
occurred  while  the  arrests  were  being  made,  are  now 
lodged  behind  the  prison  bars  awaiting  trial.  The  ob 
ject  of  these  fanatics  was  to  take  the  life  of  the  Gov 
ernor,  which  would  precipitate  the  State  into  a  fearful 
excitement,  and  aid  them  in  getting  a  hold  upon  the 
ignorant,  and  in  increasing  their  nefarious  deeds. 
The  promoters  of  the  revolutionary  sentiments:  Don 
Francisco  K.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  Father  Hernandez,  and 
the  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  who  were  arrested  and  placed  in 
jail  on  a  charge  of  treason  against  the  Government, 
have  escaped." 

"Escaped!"  exclaimed  Harriet  Hotuble.     "Escaped, 


202        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

and  I  did  not  know  it  till  now.  Well,  I  never  will  tell 
The  Chihuahuan  where  I  got  the  first  knowledge  of 
the  affair.  Ha!  ha!  I  would  bet  on  J.  T.  Note  every 
time.  He  was  slick  in  the  other  life  that  I  knew  him. 
He  was  a  foreign  missionary.  He  came  down  to  this 
country,  which  was  then  a  part  of  the  fastly  waning 
Eepublic  of  Mexico,  to  teach  the  descendants  of  the 
Aztecs  and  the  Spanish  conquerors  the  Protestant  faith. 
He  represented  a  large  body  of  proselytes  who  were 
jealous  of  the  hold  the  Catholic  Church  had  on  the 
Mexican  Eepublic.  He  exhorted  and  pleaded  with  the 
poor,  downtrodden  people,  to  believe  as  the  Protestants 
believed;  to  renounce  their  faith  in  Catholicism.  He 
without  question  wanted  the  centavos  the  ignorant  crea 
tures  stole  and  begged  for,  and  he  got  them,  many  of 
them  at  that.  And  he  built  himself  a  fine  place  of 
worship  and  clothed  himself  and  family  in  purple  and 
fine  linen,  as  the  Bible  expresses  it,  and  lived  off  the 
fat  of  the  land  from  the  sale  of  the  zarapas  which  were 
donated  for  the  use  of  the  poor,  ignorant  peons  whom 
he  had  converted.  Yes,  he  is  slick.  Now  he  is  in  the 
same  boat  that  the  priests  were  in  then.  The  faith 
in  the  teachings  of  the  lazy  creatures  is  waning.  There 
should  be  more  corn-fields  to  plough  and  ditches  to  dig, 
and  everyone  who  subscribes  himself  priest  or  pastor 
should  be  compelled  to  dig  so  many  hundred  feet  every 
year,  even  if  they  missed  part  of  their  prayers  and  con 
fessions.  Yes,  J.  T.  Note  will  wiggle  out  of  this 
affair  somehow,  as  he  has  out  of  jail.  It  may  be, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  present  regime  he 
and  his  associates  will  be  ebonized  and  put  in  a 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  203 

museum,  where  they  will  be  of  much  interest  to  the 
future  generations. 

"The  treatise  on 'Uses  of  Ebony  Fluid/  which  I  found 
lying  on  the  Governor's  desk  in  his  private  office  the 
first  day  I  called  there,  speaks  of  using  it  to  preserve 
the  body  in  its  present  shape,  after  the  spirit  of  life 
has  passed  out.  The  use  of  a  few  drops  of  'Ebony 
Fluid'  turns  all  such  animal  matter  black  as  ebony, 
and  preserves  it  through  all  eternity.  This  gives  me 
an  idea.  The  copy  of  his  treatise  on  'Mental 
Fotography,'  which  I  took  with  me  from  the  room,  will 
enable  me  to  experiment  with  this  lightning  process  of 
fotography  known  only  to  his  Honor,  Messrs.  Julio 
Murillo  and  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  to  spring  a  sur 
prise  upon  them.  Well,  these  meditations  will  save  for 
another  time.  What  is  this:  'The  Governor  Spirited 
Away !  He  has  not  been  seen  at  the  Mansion  since 
eleven-thirty  last  night.  Much  fear  is  entertained  that 
foul  play  has  been  done.  At  this  hour  no  news  of  his 
whereabouts  can  be  had.  Much  rioting  and  plunder 
ing  by  sympathizers  from  both  the  Catholic  and  Prot 
estant  faith  in  many  of  the  States.  Those  who  are 
opposed  to  free  thought  and  the  scientific  demonstra 
tion  of  spiritualistic  advancement  constitute  a  large 
body  of  the  revolutionists/  " 

Folding  up  The  Chihudhuan,  and  placing  it  in  her 
coat-pocket,  after  the  fashion  of  business  men,  she 
increased  her  pace. 

"Ah!"  she  exclaimed,  as  she  turned  a  corner  which 
put  her  on  the  street  facing  the  Mexican  Annex;  "if 
there  is  not  the  child  Catalina.  Something  is  taking 


204        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

place  which  I  cannot  ferret.  She  mnst  not  see  me. 
I  will  hurry  to  the  Annex,  disguise  myself,  and  follow 
this  child,  who  is  wiser  than  her  years,"  concluded 
the  invincible  Marriet  Motuble,  as  she  hurried  on  with 
lightning  tread. 

Catalina  Martinet  walked  slowly  on,  now  and  then 
glancing  around  as  if  she  expected  some  one.  On 
reaching  the  Alameda  she  increased  her  steps  and 
walked  up  to  the  magnificent  statue  of  George  Wash 
ington.  After  viewing  it  intently  for  a  moment,  she 
sat  down  on  a  rustic  seat  near  by.  "I  will  sit  here  and 
watch  for  her.  She  must  be  punished  in  this  life  for 
her  misdeeds.  She,  as  well  as  'The  Plunger  from 
Kansas,'  escaped  in  the  other  life.  She  was  a  peace  dis 
turber  then,  and  who  can  say  she  is  not  a  peace  dis 
turber  now?  Ah,  here  comes  a  person  who  makes  one 
feel  like  there  is  no  ill  in  the  world.  Her  presence  has 
the  same  effect  on  me,  after  seeing  Marriet  Motuble, 
that  oil  does  on  a  deep  burn.  It  heals  and  cools  the 
fever  caused  by  evil  thoughts.  I  love  her;  she  is  my 
angel  of  light,"  concluded  Catalina  Martinet,  as  she 
sprang  from  her  seat  in  eager  excitement,  and  ran  to 
meet  the  object  of  her  love. 

Helen  Hinckley  clasped  her  fondly  in  her  arms,  and 
exclaimed:  "It  is  a  very  early  hour,  sweet  child,  for 
you  to  be  out  and  alone.  I  knew  you  would  be  here; 
that  is  why  I  came  this  way." 

"I  expected  you,  Miss  Hinckley.  You  must  help 
me  as  you  did  the  Governor,  if  I  need  help.  He  is 
safe,  is  he  not?"  said  Catalina. 

"You  expected  me,  you  say?    Well,  that  is  a  coin- 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  205 

cidence.  Yes,  child,  the  great  Governor,  author  and 
scientific  man  is  safe  and  unharmed.  He  is  beyond 
the  pale  of  the  revolutionists.  No  great  harm  can 
attend;  the  great  Divine  Influence  will  protect  him 
from  physical  destruction,  but  often  his  existence 
physically  will  be  in  danger  of  annihilation.  Come, 
dear,  tell  me  why  you  are  out,  and  in  what  way  I  can 
serve  you.  We  are  both  working  to  accomplish  the 
same  result,"  said  the  beautiful  Helen  Hinckley,  as 
she  pressed  the  child's  soft  white  hands  to  her  lips. 

"I  am  out,"  answered  Catalina,  "to  look  after  several 
people;  those  who  should  be  compelled  to  repent  of 
their  evil  ways  in  this  life,  that  others  in  a  life  to  come 
may  not  be  imposed  upon  by  them." 

"So  far,"  said  Helen  Hinckley,  '"your  answer  is 
logical  and  full  of  feeling.  But  who  are  the  people 
about  whom  you  have  reached  such  a  conclusion?" 

"The  main  person  is  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas.' 
He  is  in  hiding  and  in  disguise.  He  lingers  and 
lingers  in  this  city ;  yet  it  is  hard  to  get  him  to  the  bar 
of  justice." 

"That  is  true,  child;  there  is  a  great  mental  magnet 
that  holds  him  here  in  spite  of  himself.  And  if  by 
some  means  he  becomes  a  subject,  he  will  walk  up  by 
his  own  free  will  and  acknowledge  the  debt  he  owes  to 
me  and  others,  and  will  proffer  the  money.  The  day 
of  reckoning  is  sure  to  come.  Do  not  let  the  Plunger 
give  you  one  moment  of  uneasiness,  dear,"  added  Miss 
Hinckley. 

"I  am  not  uneasy.  I  am  only  anxious  to  get  out 
of  the  body  again;  and  I  wish  to  serve  his  Honor  all 


206        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

that  is  possible  before  I  go,"  was  the  rather  serious 
reply  of  Catalina. 

"You  are  unhappy,  child.  Why  is  it,  when  you 
are  surrounded  by  every  comfort,  and  are  dearly  be 
loved  by  his  Honor?  He  could  not  love  a  child  of 
his  own  any  more.  Do  not  wish  to  leave.  I  will  be 
lonely  when  you  are  gone.  And  his  Honor,  I  cannot 
say  how  badly  he  will  feel.  I  do  not  like  to  see  a 
little  girl  so  serious." 

Helen  Hinckley  took  the  strange  child  on  her  lap  aa 
she  concluded,  and  pressed  her  face  to  her  bosom. 

Catalina  put  her  arms  around  her  neck  and  as  she 
kissed  her  fondly  on  the  cheek,  said:  "Before  I  re 
membered,  I  was  not  serious;  but  I  took  spells  of  cry 
ing,  and  without  any  reason  whatever  I  cried  to  be 
called  Catalina  Lehumada.  Then  on  the  day  I  went 
to  sell  flowers  and  saw  the  bad,  bad  man  who  caused 
me  grief  in  the  life  gone  by,  I  remembered.  Senor 
Julio  Murillo  says  he  put  a  small  bottle  of  'Memory 
Fluid'  near  by,  so  I  could  not  help  inhaling  the  fumes, 
and  that  is  what  made  me  remember.  Then  I  knew 
why  I  felt  as  I  did  about  not  being  his  little  girl. 
It  is  enough  to  make  any  one  serious  to  be  born  into 
a  family  in  which  there  is  no  harmony  whatever  with 
one's  life.  When  I  see  the  Plunger  repentant,  and 
hear  Harriet  Motuble  confess  her  sins,  and  the  man 
who  made  me  faint,  mend  his  ways,  I  will  go,  and 
return,  I  hope,  into  a  sphere  of  harmony.  There 
comes  Harriet  Hotuble.  I  must  follow  her  instead  of 
her  following  me." 

"Where    is    she,    child?    queer,    interesting,    lovely, 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  207 

spiritual  darling  that  you  are,  tell  me,  where  is  Har 
riet  Motuble?"  quickly  spoke  Catalina's  companion. 

"Do  you  see  that  large  man  dressed  in  steel-grey 
clothes,  who  walks  like  a  lawyer?  Yes?  That  per 
son  is  not  a  man.  Harriet  Hotuble  is  the  name  of  the 
person.  She  is  out  for  no  good.  Less  than  an  hour 
ago  she  was  in  his  Honor's  mansion." 

"Impossible!  How  did  she  enter?"  cried  Hiss 
Hinckley,  as  she  arose  to  watch  Harriet  Hotuble,  the 
friend  of  her  other  life,  now  parading  nervously  be 
fore  the  great  Hexican  Annex. 

"Stranger  in  this  life  than  in  the  life  she  lived  in 
the  nineteenth  century.  She  is  kind-hearted  enough 
and  true  in  a  way.  Her  strange  actions  are  due  to 
her  inability  to  control  her  violent  temper,  on  the  one 
hand,  and  to  temper  her  jealousy,  on  the  other." 

"It  is  her  love  for  his  Honor,  and  the  assurance 
she  has  that  he  cares  not  for  her,  that  causes  her  strange 
actions  in  this  life.  She  is  looking  for  you.  She  be 
lieves  you  know  where  his  Honor  is,  and  if  she  follows 
you  she  will  find  him.  Look,  Hiss  Hinckley,  look;  a 
dreadful  fight  is  taking  place  yonder,  I  want  to  go.  I 
may  be  needed,"  cried  Catalina. 

"Quite  true,  child.  We  will  go.  Listen  to  the  re 
ports  of  the  guns.  How  horrible  to  send  one  out  of 
the  body  in  such  an  uproarious  fashion.  Why  can't 
they  use  the  noiseless  guns?  This  is  simply  barbar 
ism." 

"I  want  to  go,"  impatiently  cried  Catalina.  "I 
must  go.  Hiss  Hinckley,  come  with  me.  I  am  im 
patient  to  finish  my  work  here  and  go.  I  cannot  longer 


208        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

endure  the  family  relations  into  which  I  was  horn. 
It  is  a  living  death  to  me.  Look  at  the  crowd !  His 
Honor  may  be  there  and  in  danger.  His  work  has  only 
begun;  he  must  not  be  retarded  in  it." 

Helen  Hinckley  took  the  strange  child,  strange  to 
the  uninitiated,  by  the  hand,  looked  intently  into  her 
sweet  up-turned  face,  which  she  kissed  fondly,  and 
without  a  word  they  started  briskly  toward  the  street 
where  the  fight  was  taking  place. 

"Oh,  I  wish  I  were  there,"  impatiently  cried  Cata- 
lina.  "If  I  had  wings  I  would  fly." 

"Stop,  dear;  put  your  right  palm  on  my  left  palm 
and  slip  your  left  hand  under  this  strap.  That  is  cor 
rect.  We  cannot  fly  like  birds  in  the  sky,  but  we  can 
sail  along  at  a  slow,  steady  rate,  much  faster  than  we 
can  walk;  and  if  necessary,  we  can  rise  above  the 
crowd  and  escape." 

"How  splendid!"  cried  Catalina,  as  she  felt  herself 
rising  from  the  ground.  "How  splendid !  Miss  Hinck- 
ley>  you  are  my  angel.  You  will  carry  me  safely. 
His  Honor  cannot  live  much  longer  in  this  life  un 
less  you  are  with  him.  My  dear  papa!  I  love  him, 
oh,  so  much!  He  will  be  my  papa  some  day,  when  I 
return." 

"He  loves  you  now,  as  if  you  were  his  child,  and 
so  do  I,"  whispered  Helen  Hinckley  to  Catalina. 

"I  will  be  your  child,  too.  Yours  and  hisHonor's" 
answered  the  child,  happy  in  the  thought  that  she 
would  have  in  a  life  to  come  harmonious  environments. 

The  crowd  grew  greater,  and  by  the  time  Miss 
Hinckley  and  her  little  companion  reached  the  place 


Meeting  in  the  Alameda.  209 

where  the  trouble  was  occurring,  ten  thousand  people 
had  collected  themselves  together,  and  from  the  threats 
and  cries  against  the  Governor  and  his  scientific  co- 
workers,  many  amongst  them  evidently  were  of  the 
revolutionary  party. 

Miss  Hinckley  and  Catalina  quietly  pushed  them 
selves  into  the  thickest  of  the  crowd,  and  had  it  not 
been  for  the  fact  that  they  could  hold  themselves  above 
the  crowd,  both  would  have  suffered  for  the  want  of 
pure,  wholesome  air. 

At  first  no  one  paid  any  attention  to  them,  but 
when  Miss  Hinckley  saw  men  fall  back  dying,  she 
cried :  "Stand  back,  gentlemen !"  and  everyone  looked 
at  her  in  surprise. 


210        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTEK  XV. 

THE   CONSPIRATORS   DISPERSED. 

"IT  is  only  a  woman !"  exclaimed  one  man.  "Finish 
the  job,  boys.  She  cannot  prevent  us.  Finish  your 
slaughter,  boys;  then  we  will  triumph.  Do  not  mind 
the  voice  of  a  woman.  One  of  the  makers  of  'Memory 
Fluid'  lies  dead  now,  and  the  others  will  be  laid  in 
the  grave  at  the  same  time,  if  they  can  be  found." 

At  that  moment  the  entire  crowd  was  surrounded  by 
police  and  soldiers,  and  the  voice  of  a  general  rang 
out :  '^Revolutionists,  surrender  or  die !" 

Still,  curses,  threats  and  shots  from  the  disturbers 
of  peace  rang  out.  The  soldiers  were  drawing 
nearer  and  on  the  point  of  rushing  into  the 
revolutionists,  determined  to  quell  the  uprising  with 
their  noiseless  guns  and  poisoned  bayonets,  when 
Helen  Hinckley  arose  far  above  the  heads  of  all,  with 
Catalina  by  the  hand,  and  cried:  "Colonel,  no  blood 
must  be  shed.  The  principles  of  truth  must  not  be 
established  by  bloodshed.  People  cannot  be  forced  to 
see  the  inner  life.  It  can  only  come  through  an 
awakening  of  self.  Orthodoxism  has  been  carried  into 
every  country  with  the  sword  in  one  hand,  and  the 
cross  in  the  other.  No  lasting  good  has  resulted.  A 
knowledge  of  things  not  seen  by  the  eye  cannot  be 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        211 

forced  on  man.  Come  forward;  the  disturbers  will 
give  up  their  arms.  Take  them  prisoners,  and  if  they 
will  be  subjects,  if  they  will  take  ''Memory  Fluid'  freely 
and  without  force,  the  evil  in  them  will  be  overcome. 
They  will  remember  and  when  they  remember  they  will 
see  the  things  not  seen  by  the  eye" 

To  the  initiated  the  sight  of  Helen  Hinckley  and 
Catalina  Martinet  suspended  in  the  air  wholly  with 
out  any  visible  support,  in  consequence  of  overcoming 
the  law  of  gravitation,  was  the  cause  of  much  rejoic 
ing.  On  the  other  hand,  the  great  mass  of  people  pres 
ent  whose  knowledge  of  the  great  law  of  God  was 
limited,  or  more  often  wanting,  stood  back  in  awe. 
Some  of  the  revolutionists  cried:  "Save  us,  save  us! 
The  wrath  of  God  is  upon  us.  The  end  of  the  world 
is  near." 

The  captain  of  one  of  the  regular  companies  stood 
near  by,  and  seeing  the  effect  of  Helen  Hinckley's  words 
and  the  sight  of  her  and  Catalina  now  moving  slowly 
from  one  part  of  the  crowd  to  another,  suspended  in 
space,  concluded  to  take  advantage  of  the  occasion,  and 
quietly  and  without  bloodshed  make  prisoners  of  the 
worst  of  the  leaders  of  the  trouble.  At  the  most  op 
portune  moment  possible  for  him  to  be  assisted  in  car 
rying  out  his  intentions,  Helen  Hinckley  cried:  "Lay 
down  your  arms,  you  disturbers  of  law!  Surrender 
before  it  is  too  late."  The  soldiers  rushed  in  and  with 
very  little  trouble  disarmed  those  who  had  uttered  the 
revolutionary  sentiments,  those  who  were  considered 
the  most  dangerous,  and  the  leaders  of  the  party. 

With  the  assistance  of  the  police,  several  hundred 


212        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

men  were  marshalled  away  from  the  crowded  street, 
some  imprisoned  and  others  put  under  strict  surveil 
lance,  where  they  would  be  kept  until  peace  was 
finally  assured  in  the  city,  and  the  rebellion  in  general 
had  been  quelled. 

While  the  throng  was  dispersing,  Helen  Hinckley 
and  Catalina  sought  the  wounded,  and  had  them  re 
moved  to  the  great  hospital,  while  the  dead  were  taken 
to  the  morgue  to  await  identification  and  be  prepared 
for  burial. 

Julio  Murillo  was  discovered,  when  they  were  leav 
ing  to  follow  the  wounded  to  the  hospital,  jammed  up 
against  a  large  stone,  several  bullet  holes  through 
him  and  one  leg  broken.  A  litter  was  soon  at  hand  by 
Miss  Hinckley's  order,  and  the  great  man  of  science 
was  carried  hurriedly  to  the  Governor's  Mansion,  where 
every  attention  known  to  science  was  given  him. 

Not  for  several  hours  after  his  leg  had  been  set,  the 
bullets  removed  and  the  poison  counteracted  by  means 
of  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,"  did  he  return  to 
consciousness. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  assisted  by  Helen  Hinck 
ley,  performed  the  entire  operation,  and  sat  quietly 
by  his  side  discussing  in  subdued  tones  the  present 
state  of  affairs.  When  he  again  had  control  of  his 
mental  faculties,  he  addressed  himself  first  to  Helen 
Hinckley. 

"You  saved  me  from  many  long  days  of  suffering 
by  discovering  my  condition  when  you  did,  and  at 
tending  to  my  wounds  so  promptly.  And  I  thank 
you  very  much." 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        213 

"I  was  out  to  do  my  duty,  friend  Julio;  there  is  no 
occasion  for  thanks.  Many  believed  that  you  had  left 
us;  but  I  was  determined  not  to  take  any  chances. 
It  seemed  impossible  that  you  would  pass  away  at  the 
very  moment  your  services  are  the  most  needed.  Now 
that  you  are  with  us  again,  and  I  am  assured  of  the 
fact,  I  will  go  to  the  hospital,  where  my  hands  may 
be  needed  to  care  for  the  wounded  and  dying." 

At  that  moment,  Juan  quietly  entered  the  room, 
bringing  a  card  which  he  handed  to  Senor  Guillermo 
Gonzales. 

He  scanned  the  card  closely  and  read :  "  'William 
Jones,  Physician  and  Surgeon.'  A  very  plain,  in 
offensive  name.  I  will  receive  Doctor  Jones;  he  may 
be  able  to  render  some  assistance  at  the  hospital.  Show 
him  up  to  the  reception-room,  Juan.  Hold  a  min 
ute/'  he  said,  turning  the  card  over ;  "here  is  a  message 
written  on  the  back." 

"Your  Honor,"  it  began,  "I  wish  to  offer  my  pro 
fessional  services.  Let  me  help  care  for  the  wounded 
and  dying.  Call  me.  I  am  your  servant." 

"Those  are  noble  sentiments.  I  will  receive  him  im 
mediately.  Miss  Hinckley,  remain  with  friend  Julio 
until  I  return,"  concluded  Guillermo  Gonzales,  as  he 
arose  to  leave  the  room.  Julio  Murillo  detained  him 
by  saying:  "Doctor  Jones  has  no  doubt  made  this 
call  partly  to  find  out  my  condition.  I  will  consider 
it  a  favor  if  you  let  him  come  to  this  room,  and  I 
insist  that  Mis»  Hinckley  remain." 

"As  you  like,  friend  Julio.  You  know  your  condi 
tion  better  than  anyone  else.  If  you  do  not  fear  any 


214        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

evil  results  from  having  this  stranger  present,  Juan 
may  show  the  visitor  here,  to  this  room,"  concluded 
Guillermo  Gonzales. 

No  sooner  had  Juan  disappeared  from  the  room,  than 
a  light  tap  was  heard  on  the  door.  Helen  Hinckley 
opened  it  quietly  and  his  Honor  stepped  into  the  room. 

He  clasped  her  hand  warmly,  and  said  in  tones  only 
heard  by  herself :  "My  soul,  my  life,  my  preserver !  I 
must  speak  to  you  alone.  .When  and  where?  I  want 
to  know  now." 

"When  the  interview  at  hand  is  over,  I  will  take  you 
to  our  retreat,  found  this  morning.  Hark !  they  are 
coming,"  concluded  Miss  Hinckley,  going  slowly  with 
the  Governor  to  the  bed  on  which  lay  the  wounded  scien 
tist. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  greeted  the  Governor  cor 
dially,  and  explained  the  condition  of  Julio. 

The  Governor  sympathized  heartily  with  the  sufferer, 
and  assured  him  that  the  mere  fact  of  his  escape  from 
death,  or  rather  of  his  being  wounded  in  the  affray, 
would  serve  as  proof  of  the  real  intentions  of  the  rebels, 
and  be  a  means  of  helping  to  bring  the  trouble  to  an 
early  end. 

"I  have  for  the  last  two  hours  been  closeted  with  the 
officers  of  war,  and  constantly  in  receipt  of  messages 
from  Washington.  The  Government  is  determined  to 
put  down  these  small  cliques  of  rebels.  The  condition 
of  affairs  in  some  of  the  States  east  of  the  Mississippi 
Eiver  is  worse  than  in  our  own  city.  The  President 
will  arrive  in  the  national  capital  to-morrow  night,  and 
a  council  of  war  will  be  held  immediately.  Instantly 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        215 

the  result  will  be  made  known  to  us.  There  is  much, 
much  to  be  talked  about;  but  the  condition  of  our 
friend  Julio  must  be  the  first  consideration.  Ah !  here 
comes  some  one.  Who  can  be  intruding  on  the  wounded 
one?"  concluded  the  Governor. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  handed  him  the  card  of 
the  prospective  visitor,  and  said:  "A  physician,  who 
wishes  to  assist  in  caring  for  the  wounded  and  dying. 
It  is  at  the  request  of  Julio  that  he  comes  here." 

At  that  moment  the  door  opened  at  the  order  of 
Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  Juan  ushered  in 
William  Jones,  M.  D.,  but  not  alone.  He  was  accom 
panied  by  a  much  smaller  and  younger  looking  man, 
whom  he  introduced  to  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  as 
"my  secretary,  Francis  Maynard." 

William  Jones,  M.  D.,  bowed  very  stiffly  when  pre 
sented  to  the  Governor  and  Helen  Hinckley,  but  was 
very  profuse  in  his  expressions  of  sympathy  when  he 
was  presented  to  the  wounded  scientist. 

"Ah,  friend  Julio,  I  could  not  resist  coming  to  see 
you,  after  hearing  of  your  terrible  accident.  Gentle 
men,  I  recognize  in  this  unfortunate  man  a  friend  of  my 
youth.  I  beg  of  you  to  let  me  attend  him.  I  have 
no  business  at  present,  and  your  duties  are  many." 

Questioning  glances  passed  between  Helen  Hinckley, 
Guillermo  Gonzales  and  the  Governor.  Even  Juan  felt 
that  something  was  radically  wrong,  and  as  he  looked 
from  one  to  the  other  with  a  hopeful  expression  in  his 
face,  he  turned  away,  and  as  his  eyes  fell  upon  the 
face  of  Doctor  Jones,  he  shook  his  head,  which  con 
firmed  all  that  his  suspicions  had  been  aroused,  and  he 


216        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

evidently  believed  Doctor  Jones  to  be  the  suspicious  per 
son.  The  two  strangers  did  not  accept  the  chairs 
offered  them,  and  all  in  the  room  remained  standing. 

Doctor  Jones,  seemingly  unconscious  of  the  sus 
picions  his  presence  had  aroused,  continued:  "If  my 
medical  skill  avails  anything,  the  son  of  Seiiora  Suz- 
zan  Carriles,  of  Colima,  shall  not  leave  this  existence 
until  the  great  work  he  is  trying  to  accomplish  is  a 
success.  Until  'Memory  Fluid/  and  the  wonderful  re 
sults  obtained  by  the  use  of  it,  are  heralded  from  one 
end  of  the  universe  to  the  other.  It  is  a  great  and 
noble  cause  for  which  you  are  working, — to  see  that 
justice  is  meted  to  all.  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas'  is 
not  the  only  one  to  whom  justice  will  be  meted  out. 
The  ample  proof  at  hand  that  he  committed  the  great 
cattle  theft  in  the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety- 
eight,  and  was  then  the  cause  of  suffering  and  poverty 
of  many  whom  fortune  favored  in  the  way  of  helping 
on  retribution,  by  causing  many  whom  he  wronged,  to 
live  another  life  at  the  same  time  the  Plunger  lived, 
that  this  very  thing  for  which  you  are  working  might 
come  to  pass.  Gentlemen,  let  me  congratulate  you,  one 
and  all."  With  that  the  enthusiastic  doctor  shook 
hands  with  the  three  scientists  and  Miss  Hinckley. 
Everyone  present  except  himself  seemed  to  be  very 
much  constrained. 

He  rubbed  his  hands  in  evident  satisfaction,  and  as  he 
sat  down  by  Julio's  bedside  he  continued :  "You  will  do 
me  a  very  great  favor  not  to  linger  here  any  longer. 
Others  need  your  services  badly.  It  will  give  me  much 
pain  to  leave  the  son  of  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles,  of 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        217 

Colima.  Sit  down,  Francis,  sit  down.  I  may  need 
you.  Gentlemen,  consider  yourselves  at  liberty  to  go 
now." 

Great  astonishment  was  written  on  the  faces  of  the 
Governor,  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  Miss  Hinckley  and 
Juan.  They  were  too  much  surprised  at  the  audacity 
of  Doctor  Jones  to  speak.  Even  Francis  Maynard 
showed  great  uneasiness  as  he  took  a  seat  near  the  chair 
of  Doctor  Jones. 

Governor  Lehumada  offered  Miss  Hinckley  his  arm, 
and  without  a  word  they  left  the  room,  followed  by 
Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  who  tarried  a  moment  to 
give  a  few  directions  to  Juan,  and  speak  a  moment  with 
his  coworker,  Julio  Murillo. 

When  the  three  were  safely  in  the  Governor's  private 
study,  and  the  door  securely  locked,  the  Governor  mo 
tioned  all  to  be  seated.  Standing  in  front  of  them  he 
laughed  merrily,  as  he  said:  "It  was  well  for  my 
reputation  that  no  stranger  was  present  when  Doctor 
Jones  invited  us  to  leave  our  own  apartments,  and  we 
quietly  obeyed  without  any  comments  whatever." 

Both  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  and  Helen  Hinck 
ley  saw  the  humorous  side  of  the  occurrence  and  they 
joined  the  Governor  in  his  laugh. 

"The  audacious  senorita,"  continued  the  Governor, 
"is  irresponsible  for  her  actions." 

Miss  Hinckley  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  ex 
claimed  in  a  breath :  "Senorita  ?" 

"Certainly;  Marriet  Motuble.  I  do  not  believe  it  is 
possible  for  her  to  effect  a  disguise  I  could  not  pene 
trate." 


218        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Governor/'  said  Miss  Hinckley,  "you  have  con 
firmed  my  suspicions." 

"And  mine/'  added  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"The  young  fellow  with  her  I  cannot  quite  make 
out,"  continued  the  Governor,  with  a  puzzled  look  in 
his  face. 

"The  fellow/'  said  Helen  Hinckley,  "is,  I  be 
lieve,  'The  Plunger  from  Kansas.' '' 

"Can  it  be  possible?"  exclaimed  both  the  Governor 
and  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"Then  we  must  not  let  him  get  away  until  we  have 
his  full  confession  in  writing,  and  a  check  for  the  full 
amount  of  his  obligations,"  said  the  Governor. 

"You  are  quite  right,  Miguey,"  said  the  Governor's 
scientific  friend,  and  friend  of  his  other  life,  "quite 
right.  Possibly  if  we  had  been  able  to  present  to  the 
public  a  month  or  so  ago  all  the  necessary  proofs  of 
what  we  claim  for  'Memory  Fluid/  the  present  trouble, 
— the  uprising,  I  mean — might  have  been  prevented. 
It  is  a  horrible  thing.  Fifty  persons  now  lie  dead  in 
the  morgue." 

"It  is  a  serious  condition  of  affairs,"  replied  the  Gov 
ernor,  "for  the  uninitiated,  particularly,  to  be  sent  out 
of  this  existence  during  such  an  unfortunate  affair, 
and  without  any  insight  whatever  into  the  unseen. 
Think  of  the  misery  they  will  unknowingly  cause  the 
future  generation.  If  it  were  not  the  law  that  each 
must  see  the  things  not  seen  by  the  eye,  before  they 
are  fitted  for  the  Eealm  on  High,  it  would  be  fortunate 
for  those  who  will  come  in  contact  with  them  if  their 
reappearance  here  could  be  prevented." 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        219 

"I  hope  the  poor  creatures  at  the  hospital  who  were 
wounded  and  are  in  agony  with  physical  pain,  will 
recover,  that  they  may  have  a  chance  to  know.  If 
your  Honor  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  will  pardon 
me,  I  will  hurry  to  the  hospital  and  tender  my  services," 
concluded  Helen  Hinckley,  as  she  arose  to  leave  the 
room. 

"One  moment,  one  moment,  Miss  Hinckley/'  said 
Governor  Lehumada.  "I  will  inquire  how  the  wounded 
are,  and  if  your  services  are  needed." 

The  Governor  stepped  into  the  chamber  adjoining, 
built  especially  to  condense  thought  waves,  which  were 
made  audible  by  holding  a  small  cone-shaped  instru 
ment  to  the  ear  which  was  connected  at  the  smaller 
end  by  means  of  a  fine  wire  to  the  thought-condensing 
board.  In  a  few  moments  he  returned  to  his  study  with 
a  very  much  pleased  expression  on  his  face.  He 
dropped  into  a  chair,  and  throwing  his  handsome  head 
far  back  and  his  arms  out  and  forward  in  a  suppliant 
manner,  cried:  "Great  Cause,  thou  everlasting  Euler, 
the  Promoter  of  Harmony,  and  the  Distributor  of  Jus 
tice,  I  am  happier  this  moment  than  at  any  other  period 
of  my  existence  to  my  recollection." 

Helen  Hinckley  and  Guillermo  Gonzales  looked 
quietly  on,  but  neither  spoke. 

After  his  exclamation  was  completed  he  looked  at  his 
friends  smilingly,  and  continued :  "Miss  Hinckley,  and 
friend  Guillermo,  this  is  a  victorious  day  for  us.  I 
have  this  moment  heard  from  the  head  physician  at  the 
hospital,  William  J.  Matling.  He  says  that  only  two 
of  the  fifty  wounded  will  pass  away.  He  further  states 


220        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

that  their  blasphemous  cries  and  threats  against  myself 
and  my  able  coworkers  which  filled  the  air  with  horror 
for  an  hour  or  more,  have  subsided,  and  they  are  either 
in  a  state  which  resembles  a  trance,  or  are  relating 
strange  stories,  and  now  and  then  one  shouts:  'I  am 
happy.  I  know  what  it  is  to  live.  I  see  the  things  not 
seen  by  the  eye  and  hear  things  not  heard  by  the  ear/ 
He  further  says  that  a  strange  child,  who  declares  she 
is  his  Honor's  Catalina,  has  been  going  from  one  ward 
to  another,  and  to  no  one  has  she  failed  to  talk  a 
moment.  He  requested  the  head  nurse  to  have  the  child 
taken  away  from  the  hospital ;  but  every  man  protested, 
and  he  allowed  her  to  remain." 

"Catalina,  the  blessed  one,"  said  Miss  Hinckley ;  "she 
is  determined  on  doing  her  duty  in  this  life." 

"The  physician  asked  me  to  use  my  influence  in  re 
moving  the  child  from  the  hospital.  He  said  he  firmly 
believes  she  has  bewitched  the  men,  and  when  they  come 
out  from  under  her  spell  they  will  be  beyond  his  con 
trol,"  said  the  Governor. 

"Doctor  Matling  is  certainly  one  of  the  uninitiated. 
Catalina  should  give  him  a  whiff  of  'Memory  Fluid/ 
and  he  would  understand  the  spell  he  thinks  she  has 
cast  over  those  men,"  said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"I  remember,"  added  Miss  Hinckley.  "She  had  a 
small  basket  on  her  arm  this  morning,  in  which  were 
several  dozen  small  vials.  She  said  they  were  full  of 
'Memory  Fluid'  and  she  was  going  to  give  part  of  the 
contents  to  each  of  the  most  vicious  of  the  disturbers 
of  peace  she  could  find/' 

"The  dear,  blessed  darling !"  exclaimed  the  Governor, 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        221 

rising.  "We  discoverers  of  'Memory  Fluid'  certainly 
owe  that  dear  child  an  eternal  debt  of  gratitude.  Miss 
Hinckley,  I  wish  you  to  remain  here  for  a  few  days; 
your  services  are  not  needed  at  the  hospital  or  on  the 
street.  You  can  render  me  and  the  cause  for  which  we 
all  are  working,  more  direct  good  by  staying  here.  The 
trial  of  the  unfortunate  creatures  who  attempted  to 
rid  this  existence  of  my  presence  physically,  I  hope  to 
have  take  place  in  the  near  future.  The  capture  of  the 
three  instigators  of  this  uprising  is  looked  for  at  any 
moment.  The  condition  of  the  revolt  outside  of  the 
city  is  getting  more  serious." 

"And  in  the  North  and  East,  friend  Miguey,  does 
not  the  President  report  the  condition  alarming?" 
asked  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"He  does,"  replied  the  Governor.  "And  the  main 
body  of  rebels  comes  from  those  who  see  the  waning  of 
dogmatic  teachings,  on  the  one  side,  and  the  increase 
of  scientific  investigations  in  the  realm  of  spirit,  on  the 
other.  One  cannot  be  forced  to  see  the  hidden.  The 
desire  must  be  born  within.  And  when  the  desire  is 
given  birth,  it  needs  strict  adherence  to  right,  a  con 
tinual  reaching  out  for  Truth,  or  little  good  is  accom 
plished." 

"These  priests  and  pastors  and  the  fanatics  who  fol 
low  them  are  on  the  whole  responsible  for  the  condi 
tion  at  present;  but,  Miguey,  the  final  is  the  great  vic 
tory  of  the  spirit ;  of  the  diffusion  of  knowledge  of  the 
law  of  the  unseen,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"The  petition  pending  in  the  legislature  of  the  United 
States,"  said  Helen  Hinckley,  "for  a  law  to  be  passed  to 


222        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

the  effect  that  all  persons  who  claim  to  be  'called'  to 
preach  what  they  call  the  religion  of  'Jesus  Christ/  must 
either  show  that  they  have  sufficient  means  to  support 
themselves,  independent  of  the  church,  or  can  procure 
employment  in  connection  with  their  gospel  teachings, 
that  they  may  not  be  such  a  burden  upon  the  com 
munity,  as  well  as  objects  of  especial  charity  upon  their 
particular  church,  is  a  great  move  in  the  right  direction. 
Also,  that  both  priest  and  pastor  be  compelled  to  dress 
while  on  the  street  in  ordinary  business  clothes;  that 
the  confessionals  in  the  Catholic  church  be  done  away 
with,  and  that  all  the  priests,  bishops,  cardinals  and 
even  the  Pope,  be  granted  the  privilege  of  marrying; 
likewise,  all  the  women  belonging  to  the  various  orders 
of  the  church  be  granted  the  same  privilege.  This 
will  be,  in  my  opinion,  the  beginning  of  raising  the 
standard  of  morals  and  the  creating  of  a  desire  for  spirit 
knowledge,"  concluded  Miss  Hinckley. 

"I  believe  you  were  the  originator  of  that  petition, 
were  you  not,  Miguey?"  asked  Guillermo  Gonzales, 
in  a  voice  which  showed  the  great  pride  he  had  in  his 
friend  the  Governor. 

"Yes,  I  framed  the  petition,"  replied  the  Governor, 
"and  I  met  with  much  opposition  when  I  took  it  to 
Washington  and  presented  it  privately  to  several  of  the 
most  unprejudiced  senators  and  representatives." 

"Why  were  they  opposed?"  asked  Miss  Hinckley. 

"They  no  doubt  thought  that  such  a  law  would  inter 
fere  with  the  religious  beliefs  of  the  people,  and  hence 
be  directly  opposed  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  of  America.  Am  I  not  correct,  Miguey  ?"  asked 
Guillermo  Gonzales. 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        223 

"Quite  true,  quite  true/'  replied  the  Governor. 
"That  was  the  first  objection  that  was  broached;  but 
I  soon  convinced  them  that  such  a  law  would  in  nowise 
interfere  with  freedom  of  religious  views.  When  I  told 
them  that  none  but  Mexican  blood  had  coursed  through 
my  veins  since  time  out  of  mind,  and  how  distinctly 
I  recalled  the  practices  of  the  priests  in  my  other  exist 
ences,  in  Mexico,  how  they  used  the  confessional  as  a 
means  to  frighten  the  people  into  submission  and  ex 
tort  money  from  them,  and  how  they  held  themselves 
up  as  shining  lights  of  purity  and  virtue,  when  those 
whose  eyes  were  opened  knew  that  their  very  thoughts 
were  seething  masses  of  immorality,  they  promised 
to  investigate  the  truth  of  my  statements  before  for 
mally  presenting  the  petition." 

"And  they  have  done  so!"  exclaimed  Helen  Hinck- 
ley;  "they  have  done  so,  and  the  President  who  gave 
it  no  ear  at  the  start,  is  in  favor  of  its  becoming  a  law. 
The  full  account  of  it  is  in  the  great  daily  Chihttahuan." 

"Is  that  true?"  exclaimed  the  Governor. 

"It  is,  Miguey,  and  President  Mortingo  has,  no  doubt, 
reached  his  present  state  of  thought  since  becoming  a 
subject,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"If  the  petition  becomes  a  law,"  said  Helen  Hinck- 
ley,  "it  will  no  doubt  be  attributed  to  the  effect  of 
'Memory  Fluid'  upon  the  President  and  the  knowledge 
your  wonderful  discovery  is  continually  producing 
upon  mankind.  The  discovery  of  'Memory  Fluid'  is 
the  wonder  of  this  wonderful  age  of  scientific  investiga 
tions,  particularly  in  the  spirit  realm,"  concluded  Miss 
Hinckley,  as  she  glanced  admiringly  at  the  great  Gov 
ernor  of  Chihuahua. 


224        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"I  thank  you  very  much,  Miss  Hinckley,  and  so  does 
my  friend  here,"  said  the  Governor,  going  up  to  her  and 
taking  both  of  her  hands  in  his;  "but  the  truth  is, 
Guillermo,  Miss  Hinckley's  modesty  keeps  her  from 
letting  even  her  most  intimate  friends  know  of  her  own 
great  knowledge  of  Law.  It  was  through  her  knowledge 
of  Law  that  my  life  was  spared  only  this  morning." 

"Can  it  be  possible !"  exclaimed  Guillermo  Gonzales. 
"This  is  the  first  intimation  I  have  had  of  your  life  be 
ing  in  danger." 

"Julio  forbade  anyone  disturbing  you  while  you  were 
receiving  the  messages  from  President  Mortingo/'  said 
Helen  Hinckley. 

"The  facts  are  as  follows,  friend  Guillermo.  A 
large  crowd  entered  the  mansion  unknown  to  Juan  or 
anyone  else  on  watch,  intent  on  taking  my  life.  A  few 
moments  before  they  arrived,  Miss  Hinckley  risked  her 
life  by  coming  here  to  warn  me.  And  while  she  was 
telling  me  of  the  intentions  of  the  rebels,  the  leader  en 
tered  my  room  where  we  stood.  Without  a  moment's 
hesitation,  Miss  Hinckley  whispered  in  my  ear: 
'Come;  we  will  escape/  and  following  her  instructions 
I  stepped  upon  the  railing  around  the  small  balcony  at 
the  south  door  of  my  apartments,  and  in  an  instant  we 
were  out  of  reach  of  the  bandits,  moving  through  space 
without  a  support,  wholly  and  solely  by  means  of  her 
knowledge  of  Law." 

"I  congratulate  you,  Miss  Hinckley ;  you  must  become 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Academy.  Yours  is  a  great  dis 
covery.  A  knowledge  of  how  to  overcome  the  law  of 
gravitation  has  been  sought  for  by  the  lettered  and  the 


The  Conspirators  Dispersed.        225 

unlettered,  lo,  these  many  years.  How  happy  I  am 
that  you  were  destined  to  become  the  revealer!"  ex 
claimed  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"I  attribute  the  greatest  part  of  my  ability  to  see  the 
law,"  replied  Helen  Hinckley,  "to  the  use  I  have  made 
of  your  'Memory  Fluid.' '; 


226        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTEK  XVI. 

A  WRITTEN   CONFESSION. 

"A  MODEST  way  of  putting  it,  my  dear  young  lady, 
but  we  will  not  claim  the  credit  in  the  least  part  of  aid 
ing  you  to  discover  how  to  overcome  the  law  of  gravita 
tion.  When  we  are  once  more  able  to  resume  in  our 
former  quiet  way,  our  scientific  researches,  I  want  a  full 
account  of  how  this  knowledge  came  to  you  and  how  you 
accomplish  the  movement/'  said  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"With  very  great  pleasure,  Senor  Gonzales,  I  will  tell 
you  all  I  know  concerning  my  ability  to  overcome  the 
law  of  gravitation.  There  is  so  much  to  be  done  for 
the  afflicted  before  this  uprising  can  be  quelled,  that  I, 
no  doubt  like  yourself,  feel  that  our  first  duty  is  to 
them,"  concluded  Miss  Hinckley. 

"Upon  that  very  idea  I  have  thought  much,  and  now 
wish  to  speak  to  you,  my  friends.  Ah,  but  excuse  me 
one  moment;  a  messenger  is  awaiting  me  in  the 
thought-condensing  chamber,"  said  Governor  Lehu- 
mada,  and  at  once  left  the  room. 

"It  is  from  Juan,"  said  Helen  Hinckley,  "that  the 
message  comes.  He  is  no  longer  with  Miss  Marriet 
Motuble." 

"How  strange,  and  yet  it  is  not  strange,  that  you 
should  have  the  power  to  procure  that  knowledge,"  re- 


A  Written  Confession.  227 

plied  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales.  "That  power  has 
always  been  denied  me." 

Helen  Hinckley  made  no  answer  to  his  remark,  but 
said :  "His  Honor  and  Juan  will  be  here  in  an  instant. 
His  Honor  wishes  us  to  know  all  that  has  happened." 

Almost  at  that  moment  Governor  Lehumada  entered 
the  room,  and  a  light  knock  at  the  door  leading  into 
the  hall,  announced  the  arrival  of  some  one  else. 
Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  opened  the  door,  and  as 
prophesied  by  Miss  Hinckley,  Juan  entered. 

His  face  was  ashen,  and  he  trembled  so  violently  that 
he  was  placed  in  a  chair  by  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"What  is  it,  Juan?"  asked  the  Governor,  as  he  led 
Miss  Hinckley  close  to  his  chair.  "What  has  frighteneH 
you?" 

"Tell  me,"  said  Juan,  gasping  for  breath,  "tell  me, 
do  you  know  that  the  person  who  calls  himself  Doctor 
Jones,  is  not  a  man?" 

"Who  is  she?"  asked  the  Governor,  with  a  smile. 

"The  big  woman  who  has  given  me  so  many  frights — 
I  mean  Senorita  Marriet  Motuble,"  said  Juan. 

"It  is  a  fact,"  replied  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"Do  Senor  Julio  Murillo  and  Miss  Motuble  speak 
any  language  but  English?"  asked  Juan. 

"Julio  speaks  the  Spanish  fluently.  He  is,  you  know, 
of  purely  Mexican  origin,  like  myself,"  said  Governor 
Lehumada.  "But  while  I  have  never  studied  it  in  my 
present  existence,  a  complete  knowledge  of  it  came  to  me 
after  I  used  'Memory  Fluid.'  Also,  Julio  had  a  sim 
ilar  experience.  Tell  us,  man,  what  caused  your  great 
fright,"  concluded  the  Governor. 


228        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"You  had  no  sooner  left  the  room,  your  Honor,  than 
Doctor  Jones  turned  to  me  and  asked  if  I  understood 
Spanish.  I  said  no.  Doctor  Jones  seemed  pleased  that 
I  did  not,  and  said :  'You  are  behind  the  times,  Juan. 
You  are  a  full-hooded  Mexican.  Take  "Memory 
Fluid,"  that  great  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,"  dis 
covered  hy  one  of  your  own  countrymen,  a  blue-blooded 
Mexican,  and  you  will  remember  how  to  speak  the  lan 
guage  of  your  ancient  forefathers.'  I  had  a  small  bottle 
of  'Memory  Fluid'  in  my  pocket — your  Honor  will  par 
don  me  for  taking  it  without  asking  your  permission — 
I  wished  to  become  a  subject  without  the  knowledge  of 
anyone." 

The  Governor  replied:  "You  were  justified,  Juan, 
in  taking  the  fluid.  Your  desire  to  become  a  subject  is 
sufficient  excuse.  Continue." 

"Doctor  Jones  immediately  began  talking  Spanish  to 
Senor  Julio.  I  put  the  vial  containing  'Memory  Fluid' 
to  my  lips,  and  while  I  was  hesitating  about  taking  it, 
I  inhaled  it  freely,  and  before  I  was  hardly  aware  of 
my  act  I  drank  the  liquid.  Almost  instantly  I  felt  as 
though  I  were  someone  else.  Then  a  voice  seemed  to 
say :  'It  is  yourself  and  you  remember.'  Then  I  heard 
Doctor  Jones  say  in  Spanish  to  Senor  Julio:  'It  is 
no  use  in  trying  to  fool  you,  friend  Julio ;  no  use  in  the 
least.  Ha !  ha !  That  is  a  good  joke  on  me.'  To 
which  Senor  Julio  replied:  'I  knew  when  your  card 
was  brought  in,  that  you  were  disguised  as  Doctor 
Jones.  Also  this  fellow  whom  you  introduced  as  Fran 
cis  Maynard,  is  in  disguise.  He  is  the  "Plunger  from 
Kansas."  Ah,  Senorita  Motuble,  your  little  tricks  are 


A  Written  Confession.  229 

known  not  only  to  myself,  but  to  Governor  Lehumada 
and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales.'  The  'Plunger  from 
Kansas'  jumped  from  his  aeat,  grabbed  for  his  hat,  and 
cried :  'Seiiorita,  I  must  make  tracks  out  of  here/ 
Seiiorita  Motuble  laughingly  cried:  'The  cat  is  out  of 
the  bag,  my  friend,  so  we  will  face  the  music  \'  Senor 
Julio  looked  at  the  Plunger,  and  said :  'Be  seated,  sir. 
No  harm  can  be  done  you.  You  are  beyond  the  pale 
of  civil  law.  There  is  no  law,  civil  law,  I  mean,  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  that  can  cause  a  man  to  be 
arrested  and  punished  for  crimes  committed  in  a  life 
gone  by.  There  will  be  a  law  some  day  to  that  effect, 
and  you,  my  friend,  will  be  the  main  instrument  in 
making  the  law/  Harriet  Motuble  arose,  walked  the 
floor,  her  thumbs  thrust  into  a  pocket  on  either  side  of 
her  mannish  jacket,  and  fairly  screamed  with  laughter : 
'Friend  Julio,  I  knew  I  would  be  the  means  of  making 
the  Plunger  as  famous  in  this  life  as  he  was  one  hun 
dred  and  fifty  years  ago,  by  stealing;  or,  to  be  more  in 
line  with  the  popular  phraseology  of  the  time,  as  he 
was  by  manipulating  successfully  the  sale  of  cattle, 
which  he  had  mortgaged  as  many  as  six  times  without 
lifting  any  one  of  the  mortgages.  This  is  a  great  world, 
and  to  use  the  slang  of  the  nineteenth  century,  I  will 
add  that  the  Plunger  always  gets  there,  even  if  it  is  on 
"the  home  stretch." '  The  Plunger  smiled,  and  said : 
'I  am  uneasy.  Your  words  do  not  give  me  the  assur 
ance  I  would  like  to  have.  The  mental  torture  I  have 
undergone  for  three  existences  is  enough  punishment, 
without  the  clutches  of  the  law  being  thrust  upon  me. 
I  desire  to  make  a  written  confession  of  my  misdeeds, 


230        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

refund  the  money  I  took  from  my  credulous  friends, 
and  call  it  quits.'  'It  will  be  a  glorious  day  when  that 
comes  to  pass,  for  the  scientists  who  discovered  how 
to  extract  liquid  from  the  sun's  rays  will  prove  to  the 
world  the  use  to  which  their  "Memory  Fluid"  can  be 
put,'  said  Senor  Julio.  Senorita  Motuble  patted  the 
Plunger  on  the  shoulder,  and  said:  'That  is  correct, 
sonny.  Go  up  to  the  mourner's  bench  and  confess  your 
sins.  Friend  Julio,  let  me  go  after  Eev.  J.  T.  Note. 
Pleading  with  sinners  at  the  mourner's  bench  when  they 
are  on  the  eve  of  being  converted,  is  not  in  your  line. 
And  the  reverend  gentleman  is  in  his  glory  when  mak 
ing  a  convert/  '; 

"Ah,  but  she  is  an  audacious  woman,"  said  the  Gov 
ernor. 

"Considering  that  she  'remembers,' "  joined  in  Senor 
Guillermo  Gonzales,  "makes  the  question  of  what  dis 
position  to  make  of  her  a  serious  consideration." 

"My  friends,"  said  Helen  Hinckley,  "do  not  give 
her  one  moment's  thought.  She  will  dispose  of  her 
self." 

"We  will  take  your  advice,  Miss  Hinckley.  We  will 
give  our  attention  to  other  matters,  and  hope  that  the 
aggressive  senorita  will  dispose  of  herself  to  our  satisfac 
tion  very  promptly,"  said  the  Governor.  "Is  there  any 
thing  more,  Juan,  which  you  wish  to  relate  ?" 

"Nothing  more,  your  Honor,  except  that  the  Plunger 
is  in  an  adjoining  room  writing  his  confessions,  and  the 
senorita  has  left  Senor  Julio's  apartments." 

"In  that  event,"  said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales,  "I 
will  attend  to  friend  Julio." 


A  Written  Confession.  231 

At  that  moment  a  despatch  was  announced  by  a  serv 
ant,  and  before  it  could  be  opened  a  service  messenger 
delivered  a  large,  bulky  envelope,  which  looked  to  con 
tain  page  after  page  of  legal  documents. 

Juan  left  the  room  with  the  messenger  and  the  house 
hold  servant,  and  hurried  to  Julio  Murillo's  room. 

The  Governor  handed  the  despatch  to  Guillermo 
Gonzales.  He  tore  it  open  and  read: 

"WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

"In  every  State  where  there  is  an  uprising,  the  mili 
tia  will  be  called  out  to-morrow.  If  the  rebels  join 
forces  and  organize  a  large  army,  the  United  States 
troops  will  be  mustered  out,  and  in  a  fortnight  the  rebels 
will  be  subdued.  And  in  ten  days  longer,  peace  and 
quiet  will  reign  supreme  'over  the  land  of  the  free 
and  the  home  of  the  brave.'  Dear  Governor,"  the  mes 
sage  continued,  "the  effect  of  your  'Memory  Fluid'  on 
me  has  been  the  most  wonderful  and  delightful  experi 
ence  of  my  life.  A  great  wave  from  the  spirit  world  has 
swept  over  the  entire  universe,  since  your  wonderful  dis 
covery  was  made  known.  People  are  thinking,  as  they 
never  have  thought  before,  to  my  knowledge.  I  con 
gratulate  you  upon  the  result  you  have  obtained  in  your 
scientific  investigations,  and  I  will  aid  you  in  every 
way  possible.  I  have  seen  the  things  not  seen  by  the 
eye  and  am  convinced. 

"Command  me.    I  am  your  obedient  servant, 

"JAMES  HENRY  MORTINGO." 

"From  more  points  of  view  than  one,"  said  Governor 
Lehumada,  "I  am  happy  to  get  that  message." 


232        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"And  I,"  said  Helen  Hinckley.  "One  needs  sympathy 
in  the  spiritualistic  world  more  than  on  the  physical 
plane.  The  former  is  lasting,  the  latter  is  transient." 

"The  results  from  our  researches  are  being  made 
apparent  sooner  than  I  had  hoped/'  commented  Senor 
Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"We  have  much  for  which  to  be  thankful,"  replied 
the  Governor,  then  added:  "This  voluminous  docu 
ment  would  better  be  opened  now.  Friend  Guillermo, 
am  I  not  correct?" 

"Certainly,  Miguey.  I  will  attend  to  it  this  mo 
ment  ;"  and  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  took  the  envelope 
and  without  further  delay  opened  it.  "Be  seated, 
friends;  there  is  much  length  to  this  document,  and  it 
will  be  tiresome  to  stand  through  the  reading  of  it." 

Governor  Lehumada  and  Helen  Hinckley  sat  down  on 
a  small  cane  settee.  Senor  Gonzales  seated  himself  in 
a  large  armchair  close  by,  and  began  reading  the  docu 
ment  at  hand. 

"His  HONOR,  MR.  MIGUEL  LEHUMADA, 

"GOVERNOR  OF  THE  GREAT  STATE  OF  CHIHUAHUA, 
"UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA. 

"SiR: — After  having  read  the  article  in  the  great 
daily  Chihuahuan,  of  to-day's  issue,  your  petition  in  the 
House  of  Kepresentatives,  which  you  are  praying  to  be 
come  a  law;  and  after  long  and  grave  meditation  upon 
the  same,  I  have  reached  the  conclusion  which  you  will 
shortly  know. 

"Eealizing  for  the  first  time  in  my  life  how  fruitless 
it  is  for  me  to  dash  my  head  against  a  stone  wall,  thereby 


A  Written  Confession.  233 

losing  my  own  self-respect,  and  being  the  cause  of  keep 
ing  hundreds  in  ignorance  and  want  that  I  may  live 
in  the  lap  of  voluptuous  luxury,  and  increase  the  num 
ber  of  converts  to  our  faith,  and  the  number  of  centavos 
with  which  the  exchequer  of  the  church  already  groans, 
I  herewith  write  you  this  confession.  For  some  time  I 
have  seen  the  inevitable  end  of  all  teachings  which  con 
flict  with  free  thought  scientifically  demonstrated;  but 
I  have  followed  the  teachings  of  the  church,  and  have 
held  on  with  the  bulldog  tenacity  characteristic  of  the 
faith, — that  same  tenacity  which  led  the  few  teachers  to 
the  New  Spain,  which  they  held  in  their  iron  clasp  for 
more  than  four  hundred  years. 

"But  light  dawned  upon  them,  and  our  power  began 
to  wane.  It  is  useless  to  fight  for  a  lost  cause,  particu 
larly  when  you  know  that  that  cause  cannot  ever  bring 
good  to  the  people. 

"My  great  friend,  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir, 
and  myself  wish  to  hereby  confess  that  we  are  guilty  of 
treason  against  our  great  government,  and  are  fully  re 
signed  to  accept  without  a  murmur  the  full  punishment 
of  the  law.  It  was  a  bitter  struggle  for  us,  for  two 
people  who  were  taught,  since  remembrance  began,  to 
worship  the  religion  and  customs  of  our  long-lost  Mexico, 
to  hate  our  adopted  mother  and  all  her  fair  sons  and 
daughters,  because  of  their  Anglo-Saxon  blood. 

"Great  and  noble  Governor,  we  are  repenting  to-day 
in  'sackcloth  and  ashes.'  Do  not  judge  us  too  severely, 
for  we  are  not  wholly  to  blame. 

"There  are  many  things  which  weigh  heavily  upon 
my  mind — things  for  which  I  cannot  account,  or  rather, 


234        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

impressions  of  things  which  have  occurred  at  some  time 
in  my  life  which  do  not  seem  definite  to  me. 

"Since  I  hegan  writing  this  confession,  a  beautiful 
little  girl  has  come  into  the  room,  and  on  entering  ex 
claimed:  'Ah!  I  have  found  you  leaders  of  this  riot; 
I  have  found  you.'  (We  are  in  a  vacant  house  at  the 
foot  of  Calle  de  Hidalgo,  in  hiding.)  'And  now  that  I 
have  caught  up  with  you,  I  have  not  the  heart  to  let  the 
police  know,  for  they  will  imprison  your  bodies  as  your 
souls  are  now  imprisoned.  Imprisoned  on  account  of 
your  own  stubbornness  and  ignorance.  Gentlemen/  con 
tinued  the  pretty  child,  'why  do  you  stand  in  the  way  of 
your  own  development?  It  makes  me  weep  to  see  you 
caring  only  for  physical  enjoyment.  Why  did  you  bring 
on  this  rebellion  ?  Why  did  you  want  to  take  my  papa 
away  from  this  existence  ?  His  work  is  not  done.' 

"I  interrupted  her  by  asking  her  name;  she  replied 
modestly:  'I  am  called  Catalina  Martinet,  but  his 
Honor,  Governor  Miguel  Lehumada,  should  be  my  papa, 
and  he  will  be  some  day,  and  that  day  I  wish  were  here 
now.'  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  sitting  close  by,  said:  'That's 
a  corker!  This  child  must  have  taken  some  of  that 
accursed  stuff  that  the  three  citizens  of  Chihuahua,  who 
claim  to  be  scientists,  call  "Memory  Fluid."  Say,  little 
Catalina,  the  freak  who  wishes  she  had  been  born  the 
child  of  the  great  and  wonderful  Governor  of  Chihua 
hua,  tell  me,  how  can  you  prove  that  you  are  not  his 
child?  And  come,  darling,  sit  upon  my  knee,  and  let 
me  hear  thy  musical  voice  tell  about  the  other  lives  you 
have  lived.  For  if  you  are  a  disciple  of  the  famous 
Governor,  you  claim  to  have  lived  many,  many  times.' 


A  Written  Confession.  235 

Then  chuckling  her  under  the  chin,  he  continued: 
Tome,  pet,  tell  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Note  all  about  it.  Of 
course  he  believes  every  word  you  say.' 

"Catalina  surprised  us  all  by  saying :  'No,  Reverend 
Hypocrite,  I  will  not  talk  about  things  you  cannot  un 
derstand.  Excuse  me,  I  can  only  say  I  am  sorry  for  you 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  Should  you  ever  be  in 
clined,  take  a  few  drops  of  the  contents  of  this  vial ;  then 
you  will  see  things  not  seen  by  the  eye/ 

"Handing  his  reverence,  myself,  and  my  friend,  Don 
Francisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  a  similar  vial,  she  left 
the  room.  Our  brother  of  Protestant  faith,  made  the 
air  reverberate  with  exclamations  not  complimentary  to 
the  child,  yourself,  or  your  coworkers,  Mr.  Guillermo 
Gonzales  and  Julio  Murillo.  Without  his  knowledge 
the  cork  came  out  of  the  vial  he  held  in  his  hand,  and 
unconsciously  he  inhaled  the  liquid.  In  about  one 
hour  he  fell  forward  in  a  senseless  state.  We  were 
afraid  he  was  dead,  and  with  the  assistance  of  Don  Fran 
cisco  R.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  I  laid  him  on  a  bench  near 
by.  We  were  soon  relieved  of  our  anxiety.  In  fifteen 
minutes  he  arose,  and  after  looking  at  us  for  a  moment 
in  a  dazed  manner,  said:  'I  cannot  face  the  world 
again,  gentlemen,  for  I  feel  too  heavily  the  force  of  the 
long  life  of  sin  I  have  led,  not  only  in  this  existence, 
but  in  the  life  gone  by.  Gentlemen,  the  truth  is,  I 
remember.  My  spirit  is  crushed  and  bleeding.  Oh, 
thou  Everlasting  God !  Take  me  to  Thy  bosom,  that  I 
may  soon  return  and  live  the  life,  the  example  for  which 
You  set  for  us  in  the  beginning.  Help  me  to  the  bench 
again,  gentlemen,  help  me.  A  great  force  has  taken 
possession  of  me  which  I  cannot  resist/ 


236        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"We  assisted  him  to  the  bench,  upon  which  he 
stretched  himself  full  length.  His  face  shone  with  a 
smile  surpassingly  beautiful,  and  in  a  moment  his  soul 
had  left  its  house  of  clay. 

"My  hand  trembles,  your  Honor ;  I  fear  I  cannot  con 
tinue.  Both  Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir  and 
myself  will  in  one  second  take  'Memory  Fluid'  from  the 
little  vial  given  us  by  the  strange  child,  Catalina. 
One  moment  more,  your  Honor,  before  taking  'Memory 
Fluid/  A  strange,  large,  fair-haired  woman  came  in 
unannounced  this  very  moment.  On  seeing  Eev.  J.  T. 
Note  lying  silent,  she  said,  making  much  noise  with  her 
loud  talking  and  laughing:  'Brother  Note  has  passed 
over.  The  grand  panorama,  full  of  sights  of  his  sinful 
life,  which  passed  before  his  vision  after  taking  "Memory 
Fluid,"  staggered  him  so  completely,  on  seeing  a  picture 
of  the  multiplicity  of  his  sins,  that  he  knew  he  could 
hardly  rally,  and  he  asked  to  pass  away,  that  he  might 
come  again.  And  he  will  come ;  there  is  no  getting  rid 
of  him,  but  I  will  wager  a  picayune  he  will  not  be  a 
missionary  a  third  time.  He  has  sinned  and  he  has  re 
pented  ;  now  he  sees.  Gentlemen,  the  object  of  my  call 
is  to  present  you  with  a  vial  of  ebony  fluid.  It  is  an 
easy  way  to  preserve  your  figure  after  you  will  to  pass 
over  the  river  Styx.  Good-bye.  If  my  friend  and  lover, 
the  great  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  asks  for  me,  tell  him 
I  am  at  the  hospital,  but  will  soon  be  taken  to  the 
morgue.' 

"She  is  gone.  We  have  drunk  'Memory  Fluid/  My 
pen  drops  away.  I  see.  Thank  God,  I  see! 

"FATHER  HERNANDEZ/* 


A  Written  Confession.  237 

After  the  reading  of  the  strange  confession  was  com 
pleted,  the  two  scientists  and  Miss  Hinckley  remained 
completely  absorbed  in  their  own  thought  for  some  time. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  walked  the  room,  back  and 
forth,  rapidly,  many  times.  The  shadows  of  the  early 
evening  were  fast  crowding  over  the  room,  intensifying 
the  somberness  of  the  scene. 

"The  reading  of  the  document  has  simply  over 
whelmed  me  with  joy,"  said  Governor  Lehumada,  as 
he  wiped  visible  moisture  from  his  eyes. 

"It  is  sufficient  cause,  dear  Miguey,  if  it  be  true," 
said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"If  it  be  true!"  exclaimed  Miss  Hinckley;  "if  it  be 
true!  The  authenticity  of  it  cannot  be  doubted." 

"Oh,  I  thank  you,  Miss  Hinckley,"  exclaimed  the 
Governor,  "I  thank  you  very  much!  You  relieve  me 
of  the  terrible  fear  with  which  friend  Guillermo's  words 
seized  me." 

"I  have  not  the  power  to  see  the  world  of  thought,  as 
Miss  Hinckley  has.  Forget  not,  my  friends,  the  short 
length  of  time  I  have  had  the  power,  my  age  at  present, 
and  the  grossness  of  my  body,  caused  by  a  long  life  of 
voluptuous  living,  and  judge  me  accordingly." 

"There  is  no  grim  judge,  Guillermo,  in  the  physical 
world,  who  has  the  power  to  judge  of  the  unseen.  And 
the  Great  Cause  is  not  grim,  but  is  the  embodiment  of 
justice  and  kindliness,"  replied  the  Governor. 

"What  you  have  always  shown  me,  dear  Miguey.  I 
sometimes  shudder  at  the  thought  of  what  my  future 
existence  would  have  been  had  I  not  remembered  in 
this  life.  I  owe  all  of  it  to  you,  dear  friend  of  my  other 
life,"  said  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales. 


238        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Do  not  let  fear  enter  your  thoughts,  Senor  Gon- 
zales.  The  Supreme  is  the  completion  of  Love.  To 
those  who  are  wholly  in  touch  with  the  Hidden  fear  is 
a  word  unknown,"  said  Miss  Hinckley. 

"We  do  not  know  Law  as  you  do,  Miss  Hinckley. 
The  privileges  long  accorded  man  and  denied  women, 
have  made  our  beings  less  easy  to  be  in  tune  with  the 
spirit  world.  A  good  woman,  a  pure  woman — pure  in 
thought  and  action — one  who  reaches  out  daily  for 
knowledge  of  life — the  life  of  Love  and  harmony — is 
the  highest  type  of  creation  the  world  can  produce.  To 
me,  friend  Guillermo,  Miss  Hinckley  is  that  type;  she 
is  the  other  life  I  have  longed  to  meet  on  earth.  She 
is  the  one  for  whom  I  sought  in  two  lives  gone  by, 
and  on  account  of  the  grossness  of  my  nature  I  was  un 
able  to  find  her.  Yet  the  knowledge  of  her  existence 
possessed  me  constantly,  and  I  searched  in  vain." 

"You  were  not  wholly  living  upon  the  physical  realm, 
my  own,"  said  Miss  Hinckley,  with  much  feeling. 
"You  were  then  endeavoring  to  discover  a  means  to 
perpetuate  memory.  You  told  me  through  the  thought- 
world  of  your  desire.  I  hoped  for  you,  I  lived  for  you. 
I  worked  to  perfect  my  life,  so  when  you  could  see  me,  I 
would  be  worthy  of  your  great  love." 

Don  Guillermo  Gonzales  reached  forth  his  hand  and 
clasping  the  Governor's  hand,  warmly  said:  "My 
Miguey !  My  beloved  friend  of  my  other  boyhood  and 
manhood,  this  approaches  the  completion  of  earthly  hap 
piness!  She  is  the  other  self.  She  alone  can  satiate 
the  longing  of  your  soul.  Without  her,  your  life  is 
incomplete." 


A  Written  Confession.  239 

Taking  Miss  Hinckley  by  the  hands,  which  he  kissed 
fondly,  he  placed  them  in  the  large,  strong  ones  of  his 
friend,  the  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  and  said:  "Mig- 
uey,  a  parting  must  never  be.  She  is  the  power  behind 
the  throne,  that  has  kept  you  from  evil  and  led  you  in 
the  path  of  purity.  To  her  is  due  the  success/' 

"No,  no,"  cried  Helen  Hinckley,  through  her  tears. 
"Sefior  Gonzales,  do  not,  do  not  overestimate  my  knowl 
edge  of  the  law  of  God.  I  am  only  a  creature  of  the 
earth,  who  lives  not  the  highest  law  of  God,  but  the  high 
est  she  knows.  Do  not  attribute  to  me  qualities  I  do 
not  possess.  Your  Honor,  I  entreat  you  to  see  things 
only  as  they  are." 

Seiior  Guillermo  Gonzales  stepped  nearer  to  Miss 
Hinckley,  and  addressing  the  Governor,  said:  "With 
your  permission,  Miguey,  I  will  bestow  a  kiss  upon  the 
brow  of  your  future  wife." 

The  Governor  did  not  answer  him  in  words,  but  gave 
his  consent  by  a  nod  of  the  head,  and  said :  "My  Helen, 
he  is  my  brother,  the  one  I  love  next  to  you.  His  life, 
next  to  thy  own,  is  more  in  tune  with  mine  than  that 
of  any  other  being  upon  earth.  He  has  kept  me  from 
falling  by  the  wayside,  when  my  physical  life  was  too 
rank  to  feel  thy  beautiful  influence,  before  my  eyes 
were  opened."  He  gently  wiped  the  tears  from  her 
eyes,  his  hand  trembling  with  emotion. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  embraced  her  after  the 
fashion  of  a  devoted  father,  and  bestowed  a  kiss  of  re 
spect  and  admiration  upon  her  brow.  Then,  turning  to 
the  Governor,  he  embraced  him  after  the  fashion  of  the 
men  long,  long  ago  in  Mexico,  before  it  became  a  part 
of  the  great  United  States  of  America. 


240        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Governor  Lehumada  clasped  the  bride  of  his  past,  his 
present,  and  his  future  physical  and  spiritual  life,  in  his 
arms,  and  whispered  in  her  ear : 

"Thou  art  my  other  life  I  have  longed  to  meet, 
Without  which  life  my  own  is  incomplete. 
Oh,  dearer,  sweeter  self!  Like  me  thou  wert  astray! 
Straying,  like  me,  to  find  the  breast 
On  which  alone  can  weary  heart  find  rest" 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        241 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

VIEWING   THE   EBONIZED  BODIES. 

ABOUT  noon  the  next  day  Governor  Lehumada,  in 
company  with  Helen  Hinckley  and  Guillermo  Gonzales, 
was  returning  from  a  professional  and  scientific  call 
upon  the  head  physicians  and  surgeons  of  the  public 
hospital,  when  his  vehicle  of  transport  was  called  to  a 
halt. 

Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  opened  the  door  as  a  civil 
messenger  appeared  at  the  side  of  the  vehicle. 

The  messenger  handed  him  an  envelope  and  said: 
"His  Honor's  presence  is  desired  at  once." 

Helen  Hinckley  asked:  "At  what  place  is  the  Gov 
ernor  wanted?" 

"At  the  morgue.  Anything  further,  Miss  ?"  asked  the 
messenger. 

"Nothing  further ;  we  will  go  at  once." 

The  messenger  disappeared.  Guillermo  Gonzales  re 
quested  the  motorman  to  move  the  vehicle  near  the  pave 
ment,  out  from  the  crowd  of  the  street,  while  he  exam 
ined  the  contents  of  the  envelope. 

He  tore  it  open  quickly.  He  drew  out  first  a  bulky 
letter,  written  on  black  paper.  He  turned  it  over,  and 
read:  "Harriet  Motuble." 

"From  the  aggressive  senorita,"  said  the  Governor. 


242        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Here  is  another  letter.  It  is  signed  'Senor' — no, 
there  is  a  line  drawn  through  it  and  through  the  word 
'Father/  under  it,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

"It  must  be  from  both  Don  Francisco  K.  Cantu  y 
Falomir  and  Father  Hernandez,  then,"  smiled  Miss 
Hinckley. 

"Your  surmise  is  correct,  Miss  Hinckley;  see,  it  is 
signed:  'Francisco  R.  Cantu,  a  citizen  of  the  United 
States  of  America ;  Alberto  Hernandez,  an  American 
citizen.' ''' 

A  smile  was  visible  on  the  faces  of  the  three  occupants 
of  the  cab.  Miss  Hinckley  said:  "They  have  become 
metamorphosed  since  taking  'Memory  Fluid/ '' 

"I  will  read  what  they  have  to  say,"  continued  Guil 
lermo  Gonzales;  "there  are  only  a  few  pages." 

"Do;  then  we  will  hurry  to  the  morgue,"  said  Gov 
ernor  Lehumada. 

"Marriet  Motuble,  or  her  body,  will  most  likely  be 
found  at  the  morgue,"  Helen  Hinckley  added  with  a 
smile. 

The  scientist  Gonzales  unfolded  the  written  sheet, 
and  read: 

"YOUR  HONOR,  THE  GREAT  AND  NOBLE  GOVERNOR  OF 
CHIHUAHUA: — I  greet  you!  When  you  receive  this  I 
will  be  in  the  other  great  and  only  real  world,  sent  hence 
by  the  use  of  your  disintegrator,  the  power  of  which 
is  known  to  none  better  than  yourself  and  your  able  scien 
tific  coworkers,  Mr.  Guillermo  Gonzales  and  Julio 
Murillo.  Early  this  morning  we  went  to  the  public 
house  for  the  dead,  to  which  place  we  had  sent  the  Rev. 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        243 

J.  T.  Note,  yesterday,  to  see  if  that  strange  and  erst 
while  aggressive  and  very  large,  blonde  woman — Harriet 
Motuble — was  there  as  a  spectator  or  herself  a  spectacle. 
In  the  latter  condition  we  found,  and  greatly  to  our  sur 
prise,  the  'invincible  senorita/  as  we  often  spoke  of  her. 

"Hers  is  now  a  massive  body  of  ebony,  and  as  hard  as 
a  rock  called  flint.  On  seeing  her  thus,  so  serene  and 
placid — the  physical  preserved,  aye,  for  all  time — the 
soul  which  had  its  abiding-place  in  her,  gone — winging 
its  way  through  space,  frolicking  here  and  there  like  a 
happy  schoolboy  dismissed  from  his  tasks,  we  envied 
her;  for  we  had  begun  to  remember!  I  knew  her — 
much  the  same  as  she  was  yesterday,  and  to-day  in  looks 
and  actions — in  a  life  gone  by. 

"Do  not  blame  her  for  her  strange  doings,  for  back 
of  all  of  them  was  a  kind  and  generous  heart.  Her 
position  on  earth  throughout  two  existences  was  the  re 
sult  of  a  misconception  of  sex.  Her  spirit  was  in  the 
wrong  house.  It  should  have  been  in  a  house  of  the 
masculine  gender. 

"Poor  creature!  The  note  enclosed,  which  she  sent 
to  me,  speaks  of  her  knowledge  of  the  mistake.  Her 
letter  I  trust  you  will  read  at  your  leisure,  fully  and 
carefully. 

"One  thing  more  I  wish  to  say  to  you,  then  myself  and 
my  friend  Francisco  E.  Cantu,  who  at  this  moment  is 
writing  his  will,  and  a  confession  to  be  sent  to  his  family, 
will  desire  physical  oblivion,  and  our  souls  will  be  set 
free. 

"Your  able  coworker  and  friend,  Julio  Murillo,  is  the 
son  of  Senora  Suzzan  Carriles,  of  Colima,  and  myself 


244        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

in  another  existence.  She  was  a  great  worker  in  the 
church  and  a  frequenter  of  the  confessional.  She  was  a 
true,  pure  woman,  who  looked  up  to  me  next  to  her  God. 
I  took  advantage  of  her  credulity.  I  asked  her  to  grant 
the  desire  of  my  heart,  which  I  told  her  I  did  not  con 
sider  sinful,  and  if  she  felt  any  remorse  of  conscience,  I 
would  absolve  her  from  all  sin.  I  will  make  no  further 
statement  than  that  she  believed  me.  What  is  the  use 
of  my  telling  you  more  about  this  matter.  You  were 
the  then  Governor  of  Chihuahua  and  brought  me  before 
the  bar  of  justice,  on  evidence  furnished  by  Harriet 
Motuble.  I  was  condemned.  Eather  than  face  the  de 
cree  of  the  State,  I  departed  that  life  by  means  of  my 
own  hand.  I  was  what  they  called  in  that  day  a  suicide. 
Could  I  have  been  made  to  remember  in  that  life, 
look  at  the  misery  I  would  have  escaped  in  this  life ! 
And  the  shame  and  degradation  I  have  subjected  myself 
and  followers  to,  is  a  nightmare  to  me.  When  you  have 
finished  this,  I  pray  you,  my  friend,  thou  who  hast 
left  the  gates  ajar  that  I  might  see  the  beauties  of  the 
soul ;  of  the  spirit  life,  that  I  might  remember,  and  save 
the  world  the  misery  from  the  unholy  teachings  I  have 
been  drilling  into  my  stupid  followers — stupid  because 
I  made  them  so  by  keeping  them  in  submission  and  the 
knowledge  of  all  light  away  from  them,  I  pray  you  to  use 
our  bodies,  soon  to  be  a  mass  of  ebonized  flesh,  as  a  speci 
men  in  your  Natural  History  department  of  the 
Museum,  to  demonstrate  the  use  to  which  your  Ebony 
Fluid  can  be  put.  The  great  wrong  we  have  done  you 
and  our  dearly  beloved  America  by  stirring  up  these 
revolutionary  sentiments,  only  ourselves  can  appreciate. 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        245 

In  a  way  good  will  result.  The  wonderful  results  ob 
tained  by  the  use  of  'Memory  Fluid'  will  be  more  fully 
and  quickly  made  known  to  the  world.  Our  testimony 
as  herein  stated  will  be  made  known  to  the  world  to 
morrow  through  the  great  daily  Chihuahuan,  with 
which,  and  the  personal  and  written  testimony  of  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas/  your  evidence  will  be  complete, 
and  the  petition  which  you  are  now  hoping  to  present 
to  the  State  of  Chihuahua  soon,  asking  for  it  to  become 
a  law,  will  meet  with  hearty  approval.  Then  a  great 
day  of  reckoning  will  be  at  hand;  for  all  now  living 
who  committed  crimes  in  lives  gone  by,  will  be  called 
to  the  bar  of  justice.  I  predict  the  demand  for  'Liquid 
from  the  Sun's  Rays/  to  be  so  great,  that  laboratories  for 
the  extraction  of  this  liquid  will  be  established  all  over 
this  world.  Ah,  while  I  have  been  writing,  my  friend, 
having  his  will  and  confession  completed,  has  taken 
'time  by  the  forelock' — willed  his  soul  hence.  The 
vial  of  Ebony  Fluid  is  empty  and  is  tightly  clutched  in 
his  hand;  his  soul  has  winged  its  flight,  his  body  will 
soon  be  a  form  of  ebony,  and  I  am  alone. 

"Come,  dear  friend,  to  the  morgue  at  your  first  leisure, 
for  at  this  moment  the  vial  containing  Ebony  Fluid  is 
being  emptied  into  my  mouth,  and  I  am  willing  my  soul 
away,  and  with  the  soul  of  my  friend  I  will  be  soon. 

"Good-bye,  and  much  luck !  I  will  see  you  again  in 
another  life.  Good-bye. 

"FRANCISCO  E.  CANTU,  a  citizen  of  the  United  States 
of  America. 

"ALBERTO  HERNANDEZ,  an  American  citizen. 

"P.  S. — I  requested  my  friend  in  the  beginning  to 


246        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

sign  this  confession  with  me,  as  we  had  talked  over  what 
we  thought  the  strongest  points  to  make  in  the  docu 
ment.  For  me  it  is  exceedingly  fortunate  that  I  secured 
his  name  to  this  sheet  which  served  for  the  last  page, 
before  I  began  the  recital,  or  he  would  at  this  hour 
have  been  beyond  the  power,  of  mortal,  to  pen  a  line. 

"A.  H." 

"The  righting  of  wrongs  could  not  have  been  so 
satisfactorily  settled  by  the  civil  law.  It  is  the  influ 
ence  of  the  Great  Unseen  that  has  brought  this  about," 
said  the  Governor,  as  their  vehicle  sped  rapidly  toward 
the  morgue. 

All  morning,  before  starting  to  the  hospital,  the 
Governor  had  been  in  constant  communication  with  the 
Federal  authorities  at  Washington.  Eeports  to  the 
effect  that  the  rebels  were  increasing  in  power  in  many 
States,  and  that  the  depredations  being  committed  upon 
the  property  of  public  officers  in  particular,  and  many 
inoffensive  private  citizens  in  general,  were  now  almost 
hourly  occurrences,  had  been  the  cause  of  many  small 
affrays  between  the  rebels  and  the  State  militia,  in  which 
many  lost  their  lives  and  others  were  wounded,  on  both 
sides.  It  was  believed  by  the  authorities  in  Chihuahua 
that  when  the  sad  end  of  the  instigators  of  the  trouble 
had  become  known,  that  an  early  abating  of  the  hos 
tilities  would  occur,  which  would  result  in  terms  of  peace 
being  effected.  The  manipulators  of  the  presidential 
campaign  and  the  lobbyists  out  for  booty,  prayed  for  a 
continuation  of  hostilities;  for  they  believed  the  hold 
they  had  lost,  when  James  Henry  Mortingo  became  Pres- 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        247 

ident — when  "parties"  lost  their  hold — "when  the  plum 
was  taken  by  a  stray" — (as  those  who  felt  sore  from  the 
result  of  the  election  expressed  themselves) — would  be 
made  strong  again,  from  the  very  fact  of  the  rebellion 
that  had  arisen,  and  the  part  the  President  played  in 
it.  Many  claimed  that  they  did  not  believe  any  rational 
beings  would  be  in  favor  of  electing  a  man  to  the  Presi 
dency  of  the  United  States  of  America,  who  publicly 
confessed  having  been  a  "Subject"  on  whom  "Memory 
Fluid"  was  used,  or  one  who  believed  in  it  and  thought 
it  to  be  the  greatest  discovery  the  world  had  ever  known, 
and  that  through  its  use  the  world  would  be  taught  about 
and  brought  to  see  and  to  experience  the  highest  laws 
of  God. 

The  fame  of  Julio  Murillo  had  gone  abroad.  His 
name,  at  the  head  of  long  columns  in  almost  every  news 
paper  in  the  land,  was  printed  in  flaming  red  letters. 
He  was  spoken  of  as  more  of  a  prophet  than  any  recorded 
in  the  Bible  or  any  other  religious  book. 

Helen  Hinckley  and  Catalina  Martinet  both  received 
their  share  of  criticism,  of  ridicule,  of  praise. 

Catalina  was  caricatured  in  various  ways,  and  in  each 
she  was  in  a  different  way  giving  "Memory  Fluid"  to 
humanity,  who  were  grovelling  at  her  feet  and  beseech 
ing  for  it. 

Helen  Hinckley  was  represented  in  one  paper  as  a 
beautiful,  fair-haired,  young  woman,  suspended  high  in 
the  air,  and  looking  down  with  scorn  upon  the  awe- 
stricken  people. 

In  another  she  was  gliding,  with  Governor  Lehumada, 
out  of  a  door  that  led  onto  a  balcony,  from  the  second 


248        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

floor  of  the  Governor's  Mansion,  into  space.  All  of 
these  things  were  commented  upon  by  the  Governor, 
Miss  Hinckley  and  Guillermo  Gonzales  as  they  hurried 
to  the  morgue. 

Hundreds  of  people  were  on  the  outside,  eager  to  see 
the  four  suicides,  all  of  whom  had  been  guilty  of  treason 
against  the  United  States  of  America. 

As  the  Governor  and  his  party  alighted  from  the 
strange,  circular  cab,  the  throng  drew  near,  and  it  would 
take  volumes  to  hold  the  remarks  passed  by  them  about 
the  vehicle,  the  Governor  as  a  public  officer,  as  a 
scientist,  and  strange  to  say,  as  a  lover. 

Equally  eager  were  they  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  Helen 
Hinckley,  and  numerous  were  the  criticisms  passed  upon 
her — upon  the  woman  who,  if  reports  were  true,  would 
soon  be  the  Governor's  wife;  upon  the  woman  who,  so 
far  as  they  knew,  was  the  sole  possessor  of  the  knowledge 
of  how  to  overcome  the  law  of  gravitation.  It  was  quite 
evident  that  everybody  considered  the  Governor,  his 
prospective  bride,  and  his  two  scientific  coworkers,  a 
queer  lot. 

Amongst  the  large  crowd  of  ultra-fashionable  people 
who  held  tickets  which  would  admit  them  to  the  public 
temporary  carnal-house,  when  the  examination  by  the 
law  had  been  concluded,  was  Mrs.  Grange,  with  her 
enamoring  graces.  She  was  giving  some  fashionably 
dressed  men  near  by,  the  benefit  of  her  first  impression 
of  the  Governor  and  Miss  Hinckley.  At  the  same  time 
she  was  coquetting  with  her  eyes,  in  the  hope,  no  doubt, 
of  getting  another  promise  from  someone  to  help  get 
her  husband  a  higher  salary. 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        249 

The  Governor's  party  heard  the  remark,  "It  is  a 
shame,  Mrs.  Grange,  that  a  woman  so  surpassingly  beau 
tiful  as  yourself,  is  not  the  wife  of  a  millionaire.  I  be 
lieve,"  continued  her  flatterer,  "that  you  have  been  a 
subject,  and  without  any  jesting  whatever,  I  know  your 
engaging  manners  could  induce  the  Governor  to  teach 
you  how  to  extract  liquid  from  the  sun's  rays.  And  hav 
ing  been  a  subject,  you  could  teach  from  your  own  ex 
perience,  and  your  husband  could  run  the  business. 
Your  names  would  go  down  to  posterity  then  as  re 
nowned  scientists." 

"How  lovely,"  smiled  Mrs.  Grange.  "How  kind  of 
you  to  think  of  it." 

"Not  at  all,  Mrs.  Grange,"  continued  her  admirer; 
"not  at  all.  It  would  be  much  easier  for  you  to  tell  of 
its  wonders  and  your  own  experiences,  than  to  spend  so 
much  sweetness  canvassing  for  your  husband.  It  is  too 
bad  his  voice  failed.  That  is  what  I  heard  you  say  in 
the  year  of  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-eight,  in 
El  Paso,  Texas." 

Mrs.  Grange's  countenance  fell,  and  she  only  gave 
him  a  glance  now  and  then  from  under  her  brow. 

Not  in  the  least  abashed,  the  gentleman  continued: 
"It  was  at  the  time  that  he  was  connected  with  some 
road,  less  than  one  hundred  miles  long,  that  extended 
from  the  Pass  City,  which  was  then,  if  you  remember 
your  own  expression,  'nothing  more  than  a  rough  bor 
der-town,  absolutely  without  any  dramatic  talent  or 
voice  culture/  Oh,  well,  that  is  all  past  and  gone, 
Mrs.  Grange;  even  the  remembrance  of  the  little  dra 
matic  performance  in  which  you  displayed  your  enamor- 
ing  graces,  is  known  only  to  the  initiated." 


250        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Then  you  remember!"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Grange,  look 
ing  at  him  with  a  frightened  look  in  her  face.  "Great 
God !  if  others  and  others  continue  taking  'Memory 
Fluid/  and  they  look  upon  me  with  the  scorn  that 
you  do,  and  speak  to  me  with  the  satire  you  do,  I  will 
be  tempted  to  take  Ebony  Fluid,  after  I  learn  to  will 
my  soul  away,  that  I  may  preserve  the  physical  shape 
of  this  life.  I  want  to  close  the  present  life  and  have  an 
opportunity  to  come  again,  and  then  I  will  live  the  life 
of  a  rational  being.  A  thousand  times  or  more  my 
heart  has  almost  consumed  itself  with  shame,  since  I 
have  remembered,  at  the  thoughts  of  my  actions  in  the 
Pass  City,  and  in  this  life  also.  Then  I  flaunted 
myself  before  the  public,  flirted  with  men,  drank  beer, 
wine,  anything  that  would  make  me  more  lively — danced 
and  otherwise  dissipated,  until  my  life  was  wrecked  and 
my  reputation  gone.  In  this  life  I  have  done  much  the 
same  things,  and  added  to  them  the  accomplishment  of 
doing  men  for  all  they  were  worth,  under  the  pretence  of 
soliciting  for  my  husband.  Unfortunately  for  me,  I 
have  the  same  one  I  had  in  the  other  life.  He  has  gone 
through  much  the  same  experiences,  losing  his  voice  and 
all.  Great  God!  I  hope  I  may  be  spared  in  another 
existence,  the  same  family  relations  I  have  in  this  life 
and  the  desire  to  be  a  professional  beauty  and  a  hypo 
crite  in  general."  / 

"You  are  saved,  Mrs.  Grange.  The  desire  you  have 
this  moment  voiced,  will  be  the  means  of  your  salvation, 
if  you  at  once  change  your  mode  of  action  to  one  that 
accords  with  Law,  and  continue,  to  the  best  of  your  in 
struction,  to  live  in  touch  with  the  Unseen.  I  have  often 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        251 

thought  that  you  were  destined  to  be  mine/'  said  the 
gallant,  rich  and  lettered  man  by  her  side. 

Mrs.  Grange  gave  one  long  gasp  as  she  exclaimed: 
"Since  taking  'Memory  Fluid'  I  have  known  it  to  be  a 
fact.  In  another  life  it  will  come  to  pass,"  and  fell 
back  amongst  the  crowd  in  a  dead  faint.  A  cab  was 
hailed  and  she  was  immediately  taken  to  her  home, 
and  a  physician,  who  had  knowledge  of  "Memory  Fluid," 
sent  to  attend  her;  her  gallant  friend  accompanied  her. 

Governor  Lehumada,  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales  and 
Miss  Helen  Hinckley  entered  the  room  where  lay  the 
physical  transformation  of  the  once  invincible  Senorita 
Marriet  Motuble,  and  the  two  instigators  of  the  re 
bellion. 

Prominent  physicians  from  the  city  and  neighbor 
ing  towns  and  States,  who  had  flocked  to  the  great  capital 
of  Chihuahua  since  hearing  of  the  wonderful  discovery 
of  the  scientists,  were  allowed  to  enter  the  room  with 
the  Governor's  party. 

The  scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales,  examined  the 
bodies  first.  The  Governor,  with  Helen  Hinckley  on  his 
arm,  passed  from  one  to  the  other  and  viewed  them  in 
perfect  silence. 

Nearly  one  hundred  physicians  and  investigating 
scientists  looked  in  turn  with  amazement  upon  the  ebon- 
ized  forms  of  the  three  bodies  before  them.  The  Eev. 
J.  T.  Note,  cold  and  stiff  in  the  hands  of  death,  lay  at 
the  far  end  of  the  long  death  chamber  quite  alone,  and 
forgotten  by  everyone  present,  except  the  Governor's 
party.  When  the  last  person  had  surveyed  the  ebonized 
bodies,  Guillermo  Gonzales  addressed  them  and  said: 


252        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Your  Honor,  Miss  Hinckley,  and  friends,  yonder 
lies  the  dead  body  of  Kev.  J.  T.  Note,  an  aider  and  abet 
tor  of  the  rebels.  He  is  not  dead  by  means  of  Ebony 
Fluid,  it  does  not  cause  the  state  called  death, 
but  from  remorse  of  conscience,  the  result  of  taking 
'Memory  Fluid/  He  is,  therefore,  a  fit  subject  upon 
whom  I  can  demonstrate  to  you  the  magic  action  of 
Ebony  Fluid.  It  is  a  knowledge  of  science  we  are  work 
ing  for,  and  the  sooner  the  power  of  this  wonderful  fluid 
is  made  known  to  humanity,  the  sooner  the  present 
microbic  condition  of  matter  will  be  extinguished.  I 
will  have  the  body  moved  to  the  center  of  the  room, 
and  I  will  immediately  transform  this  seething  mass  of 
microbes  into  a  harmless  body  of  ebony  flint." 

Two  attendants  of  the  morgue  entered  at  the  request 
of  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  moved  the  corpse  of  Eev. 
J.  T.  Note  to  the  center  of  the  room,  and  immediately 
made  their  exit  on  being  informed  that  their  services 
were  no  longer  needed.  Everyone  stood  as  near  the  body 
as  possible,  to  watch  the  effect  of  Ebony  Fluid  upon  the 
corpse. 

Guillermo  Gonzales  removed  the  sheet  from  the  corpse. 
Mortification  had  set  in,  and  the  odor  escaping  from 
the  body  was,  to  express  it  mildly,  exceedingly  disagree 
able  to  the  lookers-on.  The  scientist  sprayed  the  body 
with  a  powerful  deodorizer,  and  immediately  the  offen 
sive  odor  was  gone.  Then,  inserting  a  small  tube  into 
the  month  of  the  corpse,  he  pressed  a  bulb  to  which  it 
was  connected,  and  emptied  the  Ebony  Fluid  which  was 
in  the  bulb,  into  the  body.  The  body  jerked  and 
writhed,  the  face  became  contorted,  and  in  all,  was  a 
very  grewsome  object. 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        253 

The  most  stoic  of  the  scientists  and  physicians  pres 
ent,  turned  their  faces  away  to  shut  out  from  view  the 
terrible  sight  before  them.  It  sprang  into  a  sitting 
posture,  then  fell  back  against  the  hard  board  with  a 
thud,  the  limbs  rigid  and  straight.  The  physicians  and 
scientists  looked  inquiringly  at  Guillermo  Gonzales  and 
Governor  Lehumada. 

"Explain,  friend  Guillermo,"  said  the  Governor ;  "ex 
plain  the  action  of  Ebony  Fluid  upon  animal  matter." 

The  scientist  poured  a  small  quanity  of  the  fluid  into 
a  thin  glass,  and  holding  it  high  in  his  hand,  said: 
"The  black  fluid  you  see  before  you  we  call  Ebony  Fluid, 
because  of  its  color.  The  great  struggle  the  corpse 
underwent  after  the  injection  of  this  fluid  into  it,  was 
due  to  the  struggle  of  the  microbes  trying  to  resist  the 
influence  of  the  fluid.  The  battle  was  bravely  fought, 
but  the  microbes  were  conquered  at  last.  Nothing  in 
life  can  resist  its  influence.  See  this  body,  only  a  few 
moments  ago  repulsive  to  the  sight  and  emitting  an  odor 
so  offensive  to  the  smell,  and  rank  with  poison,  that  if 
it  were  allowed  to  remain  in  a  room  for  five  minutes, 
every  occupant  of  the  room  who  remained  for  that 
length  of  time  in  the  atmosphere  of  the  poison,  would 
inhale  enough  bacteria  to  fill  them  with  disease  which 
would  eventually  end  their  lives  very  shortly.  The 
action  of  Ebony  Fluid  after  the  death  of  the  bacteria, 
hardens,  then  petrifies  the  entire  body.  "Assist  me, 
doctor,"  continued  the  scientist,  speaking  to  the  phy 
sician  next  to  him,  "to  lift  the  body  of  Kev.  J.  T.  Note, 
and  we  will  stand  it  in  the  corner." 

It  required  much  effort  for  the  two  men  to  lift  the 


254        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

body  and  carry  it  to  the  wall.  There  they  stood  it  erect, 
and  held  it  in  place  by  means  of  a  stout  cord  across 
the  shoulders,  each  end  of  which  was  fastened  to  a  large 
screw  in  the  wall. 

"Nothing  better  illustrates  the  magical  power  of 
Ebony  Fluid  than  that  figure/'  concluded  the  scientist. 

"All  day  to-morrow,  and  next  day,  the  morgue  will 
be  open  for  the  public  to  inspect  these  bodies,"  said  the 
Governor.  "While  these  gentlemen  are  present,  do  you 
not  think  it  is  wise,  Miss  Hinckley,  and  friend  Guil- 
lermo,  to  read  the  confession  of  Harriet  Motuble,  that 
creature  whom  we  all  considered  so  strange,  so  unlike 
other  women?" 

Miss  Hinckley  replied:  "Your  Honor,  it  would  be 
just  to  them  to  hear  the  statements  of  Miss  Motuble 
read,  after  having  viewed  her  ebonized  body,  and  after 
seeing  the  effect  of  the  fluid  upon  Reverend  Note. 
There  is  no  wanting  of  testimony  in  favor  of  the  use 
to  which  these  fluids  can  be  put;  however,  I  am  sure 
it  would  be  well  for  these  men  of  science  to  hear  the 
statements  of  this  sefiorita,  which  I  am  sure  will  be 
interesting." 

"Miss  Hinckley  has  spoken  wisely,  Miguey.  I  will 
read  the  document  without  further  delay.  Be  seated, 
gentlemen,  and  I  will  begin." 

When  he  had  placed  three  comfortable  chairs  near 
together,  on  which  he  invited  the  Governor  and  Miss 
Hinckley  to  be  seated,  he  seated  himself  upon  a  high 
stool,  and  began  reading  the  confession.  The  densely 
black  paper  and  clear  white  letters  made  a  curious  look 
ing  paper  and  was  in  itself  exceedingly  characteristic  of 
the  author. 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        255 

"Beverend  Father  Hernandez  and  Don  Francisco  K. 
Cantu  y  Falomir !  Ha !  ha !  I  laugh  even  in  this  last 
stage  of  the  game,  at  the  thought  of  the  title  'Reverend' 
and  'Father'  attached  to  the  name  Hernandez,  and 
louder  and  longer  do  I  laugh  at  the  title  'Don'  preced 
ing  Cantu,  and  the  'y'  and  Falomir  following  the  name. 
Say,  gentlemen,  there  is  no  use  in  further  pretensions 
upon  your  part;  they  have  a  dead  cinch  upon  you,  so 
you  might  as  well  walk  up  to  the  mourner's  bench  and 
take  your  medicine  like  men.  What  kick  have  you 
against  Uncle  Sam's  government?  He  didn't  take  you 
under  his  wing  because  he  wanted  an  addition  to  his 
family.  He  took  you  because  he  was  sorry  for  you,  and 
the  most  intelligent  people  of  your  race  wanted  to  be 
adopted. 

"Now  my  purpose  in  writing  this  note  is  not  to  rake 
up  a  bone  for  contention,  nor  do  I  write  this  to  you  be 
cause  I  love  you  with  all  my  heart  and  soul  and 
strength;  for  there  are  others  whom  I  love  more. 
Whom  I  love  so  much  that  my  heart  is  sore,  and  I  can 
not  pen  him  a  line;  but  knowing  this  will  reach  him 
through  you,  I  rest  content. 

"To  the  point:  In  my  present  and  a  former  exist 
ence,  the  ego  of  my  life  entered  a  habitation  unwittingly 
of  the  wrong  sex.  In  other  words,  I  should  have  been 
born  of  the  masculine  gender.  Such  not  being  the  case, 
is  why  I  have  not  been  able  in  this  life  to  find  my  coun 
terpart.  In  my  first  incarnation  I  wed  a  man  accord 
ing  to  the  civil  law.  I  became  the  mother  of  six 
children  who  grew  up  to  be  thorns  in  my  side. 

"In  this  life  I  did  not  wed,  because  I  thought  the 


256        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

great  and  noble  Governor  was  destined  for  me,  until  I 
became  a  subject;  then  my  eyes  were  opened.  Then  I 
knew  I  must  live  again  in  the  castle  of  a  man,  before  I 
would  meet  the  one  who  would  be  my  counterpart  phys 
ically  and  in  the  realm  of  spirit." 

"How  strange,  how  strange!"  exclaimed  one  of  the 
physicians  present. 

"It  is  an  entirely  new  thought  to  me  and  not  wholly 
without  reason,"  said  another. 

"She  often  told  me,  when  I  met  her  in  Chihuahua  in 
the  year  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-eight,"  said  Helen 
Hinckley,"  that  she  felt  a  great  injustice  had  been  done 
her  by  not  being  born  a  man.  It  seemed  to  be  the  re 
gret  of  her  life." 

"Poor  creature,"  said  Governor  Lehumada;  "poor 
creature !  I  sympathize  with  her  from  the  bottom  of  my 
heart.  Continue,  continue,  friend  Guillermo;  I  am 
anxious  to  hear  the  last  of  this  strange  letter." 

"On  leaving  you  I  went  straight  to  the  morgue.  I 
had  heard  that  Kev.  J.  T.  Note  had  passed  over,  and  I 
felt  humanity  was  blessed.  I  viewed  the  remains  over 
and  over.  Afterwards  I  found  a  bench  unoccupied;  I 
sat  down.  Near  by  was  a  young  woman  who  had  sui 
cided  because  her  lover  was  false.  Her  soul  was  sent 
forth  to  grope  through  the  dark  night  in  despair.  My 
heart  ached  for  her;  so  I  said  I  will  go  now,  send  my 
soul  forth  and  search  for  her.  And  as  I  gazed  upon 
her  sweet,  pure  face,  I  knew  she  was  intended  for  my 
bride,  had  I  been  a  man;  and  my  soul  cried  out: 


Viewing  the  Ebonized  Bodies.        257 

'Great  and  everlasting  Cause,  guide  me  to  her !  Let  me 
find  her  and  whisper  the  sweet  story  into  her  ear!' 
Presently  I  heard  a  sweet,  clear  voice  cry  out  in  glad 
surprise:  'I  hear  you,  Miguel.  I  hear  you.  Come; 
I  am  by  the  fountain  in  the  great  public  garden  at  the 
outskirts  of  the  city.  Come;  I  now  know  it  was  you 
for  whom  I  sought.  It  was  you  upon  whom  my  affec 
tions  were  bestowed,  and  in  my  ignorance  of  law  I 
thought  it  someone  else.' 

"When  no  attendant  was  in  sight,  I  stretched  myself 
upon  a  bench,  and  after  willing  my  soul  away,  placed 
the  Ebony  Fluid  to  my  lips  (for  I  wished  my  body  to 
be  preserved).  In  one  instant  I  will  have  swallowed  it, 
and  my  soul,  now  winging  itself  free,  will  seek  its 
counterpart.  We  both  will  be  born  again  and  together 
we  will  meet  you. 

"I  am  Harriet  Motuble  in  this  life.  In  the  next 
life  I  will  be  Miguel.  You  will  know  me  when  I 
speak." 


258        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  FLIGHT  OF  CATALINA's  SOUL. 

THREE  weeks  have  passed  since  the  city  of  Chihuamia 
was  shaken  to  its  foundation  by  the  suicide  (the  masses 
knew  no  other  term  by  which  to  call  the  act  which  had 
caused  their  soul's  flight)  of  three  people  whose  names 
had  grown  to  be  household  words. 

And  while  their  ebonized  bodies  were  thought  to  be 
grewsome  by  many,  a  greater  part  of  the  town  had  be 
come  exceedingly  scientific  in  thought,  and  they  looked 
upon  them  as  the  natural  result  of  taking  Ebony  Fluid. 

The  revolutionists  who  had  attempted  the  life  of  the 
Governor  were  yet  confined  behind  the  bars.  No  conclu 
sion  had  been  reached  as  to  what  disposition  should  be 
made  of  them.  The  government  of  the  State  of  Chi 
huahua  was  strictly  opposed  to  capital  punishment,  as 
well  as  very  reluctant  in  imposing  a  life  sentence  upori 
anyone,  no  matter  of  what  great  crime  he  had  been  con 
victed.  The  small  revolutionary  faction  had  grown 
into  a  large  army  of  rebellion  and  was  now,  according  to 
the  best  authority,  marching  onto  the  National  capital. 

The  leaders  of  the  dogmatic  teachings  of  the  churches 
and  their  followers  were  determined,  if  bloodshed  could 
do  it,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  heretical  teachings  of  the 
great  scientists. 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  SouL        259 

They  had  opened  up  the  battle ;  no  free-thought  per 
son,  or  scientific  investigator  had  expressed  himself 
against  the  great  army  of  parasites,  except  in  words 
of  the  greatest  sympathy. 

Julio  Murillo  was  now  able  to  be  around  in  an  easy- 
chair,  which  was  propelled  by  an  automaton. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  made  no  move, 
without  first  consulting  him,  the  great  seer  of  Chihua 
hua,  as  he  was  now  called. 

A  presidential  campaign  was  another  theme  for  dis 
cussion,  and  was  the  cause  of  many  sleepless  nights  for 
the  regular  "pullers"  of  the  two  main  political  parties. 

The  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  and  his  friend,  were  the 
least  concerned,  perhaps,  of  any  men  in  the  United 
States  holding  high  offices,  about  the  result  of  the  presi 
dential  campaign.  They  were  more  interested  in  the 
cause  of  humanity  at  large ;  in  developing  in  the  heart 
of  each  a  desire  to  come  in  touch  with  Nature,  with 
God. 

At  an  early  stage  of  the  presidential  campaign,  the 
party  who  ran  in  the  "stray  horse/'  as  President  Mor- 
tingo  was  called  by  the  two  great  political  parties,  were 
BO  delighted  with  his  regime,  in  which  there  had  been 
but  little  intriguing;  a  rule  which  had  become  known 
throughout  the  universe  for  its  aid  in  extending,  finan 
cially  and  legislatively,  scientific  investigations,  particu 
larly  those  which  he  believed  would  assist  man  in  free 
ing  himself  from  the  heavy  chains  which  held  him  to  his 
physical  environments,  and  they  were  determined  to  re- 
elect  him,  if  no  man  of  superior  ability  could  be  found. 

Since  the  fame  of  the  great  Governor  of  Chihuahua 


260        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

had  traveled  throughout  the  continent  of  America,  and 
hundreds  rose  up  to  give  testimony  to  the  effect  of 
"Memory  Fluid"  upon  them  and  the  power  it  had  of 
bringing  man  in  touch  with  God,  the  party  which  had 
caused  the  election  of  President  Mortingo,  turned  its 
eyes  upon  Governor  Lehumada  as  its  choice  for  the  next 
President  of  the  United  States.  During  the  last  few 
days  he  had  been  solicited  by  the  new  party  which,  as 
if  by  magic,  had  grown  to  be  of  great  power,  for  his 
consent  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  candidate 
for  the  presidency  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
After  several  hours  of  consultation  with  Julio  Murillo, 
Miss  Hinckley,  Guillermo  Gonzales  and  the  state  officers, 
he  left  the  matter  entirely  in  the  hands  of  Julio  Murillo, 
at  the  suggestion  of  his  dearly  beloved  fiancee,  Helen 
Hinckley. 

Senor  Julio  sent  word  to  the  party  which  had  done 
the  Governor  of  Chihuahua  the  greatest  honor  they 
could  offer,  from  a  worldly  point  of  view,  that  he  wished 
to  wait  thirty  days,  that  the  fulfillment  of  his  prophecies 
could  be  manifested,  before  making  a  decision  for  or 
against  the  Governor's  name  being  used  in  the  present 
presidential  campaign  as  a  candidate  for  the  office. 

The  pubHc  fumed  and  growled  at  the  delay;  yet  it 
was  the  inevitable,  and  there  was  but  one  thing  to  do; 
to  wait.  The  party  who  wished  his  nomination  knew 
there  was  some  good  reason  why  the  delay  was  thought 
necessary,  and  were  satisfied,  believing  the  answer  would 
be  in  favor  of  their  cause,  and  at  the  end  of  the  cam 
paign  their  candidate  would  bear  the  laurels. 

In  one  of  the  revolutionary  speeches  made  by  the  late 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        261 

Don  Francisco  E.  Cantu  y  Falomir,  as  he  styled  himself 
with  pride,  he  laid  special  stress  upon  the  statement  that 
not  since  Mexico  became  a  part  of  the  great  United 
States  of  America,  had  a  man  of  purely  Mexican  origin 
been  at  the  head  of  the  nation.  He  claimed  that  the 
prejudices  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  had  against  the  Latin 
races — particularly  those  of  Spanish  and  Indian  origin 
— were  the  cause  of  their  great  men  being  kept  in  the 
background.  He  even  claimed  that  many  of  the  best 
people  of  Anglo-Saxon  origin  objected  strongly  to  the 
mixing  of  the  blood  by  marriage.  If  such  had  ever  been 
the  state  of  feeling,  the  fact  that  a  strongly  Anglo- 
Saxon  faction  now  wished  to  elect  Seiior  Don  Miguel 
Lehumada,  the  present  Governor  of  the  great  and  fa 
mous  State  of  Chihuahua,  a  man  through  whose  veins 
none  but  Latin  blood  had  ever  flowed,  to  the  presidency 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  would  forever  stamp 
out  the  erroneous  idea  that  any  prejudices  existed. 

Also  a  further  proof  of  the  fact  was  the  marriage  soon 
to  take  place  between  Governor  Lehumada  and  Helen 
Hinckley,  whose  family  had  since  time  out  of  mind 
prided  itself  upon  its  royal  Anglo-Saxon  blood. 

What  can  more  closely  unite  two  nations  than  a 
marriage  for  love  between  them?  The  eyes  of  the 
whole  world  were  centered  upon  these  two  people. 
Helen  Hinckley  was  called  the  great  heroine  of  the 
age,  and  the  press  never  tired  of  lauding  her  bravery  in 
saving  the  life  of  the  great  Governor  of  Chihuahua, 
even  at  the  peril  of  her  own  life.  That  while  she  un 
derstood  how  to  overcome  the  law  of  gravitation,  so  far 
as  her  own  ability  to  propel  herself  through  space  was 


262        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

concerned,  it  was  a  noble  deed  for  her  to  risk  her  own 
life  in  the  way  she  did  to  save  another. 

The  rebels  seemed  to  have  flown  from  the  town  which 
was  their  starting  point. 

The  fate  of  their  leaders,  no  doubt  had  a  great  effect 
in  cooling  the  ardor  of  their  revolutionary  intentions. 
Chihuahua  was  possibly,  so  far  as  the  rebellion  was  con 
cerned,  the  most  quiet  capital  in  the  Union. 

In  many  other  respects  it  was  the  liveliest,  and  it  cer 
tainly  was  the  center  of  attraction  of  the  scientific  world, 
and  the  great  Mecca  to  which  all  great  thinkers  were 
flocking,  for  whom  it  was  possible  to  leave  their  business 
and  homes. 

The  great  test  case  of  "Memory  Fluid,"  which  would 
be  decided  at  the  trial  of  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas,*' 
was  causing  an  influx  of  legal  talent  as  well  as  scientists, 
free-thinkers,  and  students  of  the  occult. 

The  fact  that  the  Plunger  had  given  himself  into  the 
hands  of  the  law  for  the  settlement  of  the  crimes  he 
committed  in  another  life,  when  there  was  no  civil  law 
covering  the  case,  was  considered  within  itself  sufficient 
proof  of  the  value  of  "Memory  Fluid"  to  science.  The 
fear  and  trembling  that  took  hold  of  some  of  the  un 
initiated  when  they  thought  that  they  might  have 
been  guilty  of  a  crime  in  the  past  of  which  they  now- 
had  no  knowledge  and  for  which  they  would  be  brought 
to  the  bar  of  justice,  was  certainly  sufficient  reason  for 
their  greatly  disturbed  minds. 

The  large  hotels  in  Chihuahua  were  fairly  groaning 
under  the  burden  of  caring  for  such  a  great  number  of 
people  which  increased  in  number  each  day,  all  cf  whom 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        263 

were  flocking  to  the  city  with  the  same  object  in 
view:  That  of  hearing  the  trial  of  the  most  famous 
case  in  the  annals  of  man.  To  see  the  man  who  con 
fessed  to  the  crime  of  which  he  was  accused ;  to  hear  his 
testimony  of  having  lived  through  at  least  three  lives; 
to  hear  him  confess  to  having  known  in  lives  gone  by 
the  very  people  who  bore  witness  against  him;  to  see 
the  child,  Catalina  Martinet,  who  was  conscious  of  hav 
ing  lived  another  life  and  the  tomb  where  she  was 
buried;  the  wonderful  woman  who  had  won  the  heart 
of  the  Governor — the  woman  who  could  suspend  the 
law  of  gravitation  at  will ;  the  men  who  had  discovered 
"Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,"  and  to  see  the  ebon- 
ized  figures  in  the  Museum,  was  certainly  enough  to 
draw  the  crowd  that  was  gathering  in  the  great  city. 

The  morning  on  which  the  trial  would  begin,  dawned 
clear  and  cool.  Long  before  nine  o'clock,  the  hour 
for  opening  the  court,  the  halls  and  rooms  adjoining 
the  great  court-room  were  filled  to  overflowing. 

The  statues  of  the  States  of  Chihuahua  did  not  over 
the  hearing  of  such  a  case  as  the  one  about  to  be  heard, 
but  a  recent  special  legislation  did.  Many  of  the  legal 
fraternity  were  wondering  if  the  case  of  "The  Plunger 
from  Kansas"  would  be  the  means  of  establishing  a 
precedent  which  would  make  the  special  and  temporary 
legislation,  a  general  and  permanent  act  of  Congress 
in  the  near  future. 

Judge  Ulloa,  of  the  Supreme  bench  of  the  State,  was 
one  of  the  most  advanced  thinkers  of  the  age.  His  suc 
cess  as  a  lawyer  had  been  nothing  short  of  marvelous; 
at  least  that  was  the  opinion  of  the  public,  but  he  knew 


264        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

that  his  success  was  r'ue  to  his  knowledge  of  the  "great 
powers  that  be." 

The  case  in  hand  was  to  him  a  supreme  moment,  for 
by  special  legislation  it  came  under  his  jurisdiction.  It 
was  generally  known  that  President  Mortingo  believed 
implicitly  in  the  scientific  revelation  of  Governor  Lehu- 
mada  and  his  able  coworkers. 

Arrangements  had  been  perfected  whereby  the  Presi 
dent  of  the  United  States,  the  cabinet,  and  many  great 
legal  minds,  who  were  not  able  to  be  in  attendance  at 
the  trial,  could  hear  the  testimony  as  it  would  be  given 
in  the  Chihuahua  court-room,  by  means  of  the  sound- 
condenser,  in  their  own  private  offices  in  Washington, 
New  York,  or  whatever  city  in  which  they  lived. 

When  the  great  throng  rushed  into  the  court-room  at 
the  hour  of  opening,  the  accused  and  the  prosecutors 
(the  Governor,  Miss  Hinckley,  Guillermo  Gonzales  and 
Julio  Murillo),  with  their  respective  attorneys,  were 
seated  conspicuously  near  the  judge,  and  all  eyes  were 
immediately  centered  upon  them. 

For  the  benefit  of  the  public,  the  great  daily  Chihua- 
huan  contained  a  plan  of  procedure  which  the  court 
would  follow  in  the  case  of  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas," 
in  that  morning's  issue,  and  now  officers  distributed  pro 
grams,  which  explained  every  step  to  be  taken. 

It  was  a  new  order  of  things,  but  so  far,  it  was  ex 
ceedingly  satisfactory  to  all  concerned,  and  the  public 
at  large. 

The  statement  of  the  case  was  first  called.  The 
attorney  representing  the  scientists  from  one  point  of 
view,  and  Miss  Hinckley,  who  claimed  to  be  one  of 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        265 

the  injured  in  the  great  cattle  robbery  which  occurred 
nearly  two  centuries  ago,  from  another  point  of  view, 
arose  and  said: 

"Your  Honors:  The  case  for  the  hearing  of  which 
we  have  assembled  to-day  is  one,  as  you  know,  of  un 
usual  occurrence,  and  is  composed  of  such  intricate 
features  that  the  gross  or  impure  element  of  humanity 
will  look  upon  the  testimony  as  out  of  the  reason  of 
man.  But  when  all  understand,  the  full  force  of  the 
argument  will  be  to  them  the  most  rational  thing  on 
earth. 

"There  is  a  divine  law  which  proceeds  from  the 
'powers  that  be/  which  says  that  there  must  be  an  ad 
justment  of  all  evil;  if  not  in  the  life  in  which  the  sin 
was  committed,  then  it  will  be  repaired  in  another  one 
of  the  lives  which  each  person  will  live,  until  all  evil  he 
has  committed  will  be  punished  through  self  conviction. 

"In  the  case  at  hand,  had  it  not  been  for  the  great  dis 
covery  of  'Memory  Fluid'  by  the  three  renowned  scien 
tists  of  our  city,  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas,'  yonder,  who 
committed  the  great  cattle  robbery  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord,  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-eight,  would  have 
escaped  repairing  the  mischief  he  did  then  until  another 
existence  in  the  body.  But  when  memory  was  restored, 
and  our  renowned  townsmen  brought  the  influences  of 
the  'powers  that  be/  which  cannot  be  seen  by  the  phy 
sical  eye  nor  heard  by  the  physical  ear,  to  bear  upon 
the  Plunger,  he  first  became  uneasy,  then  a  knowledge 
of  his  other  lives  dawned  upon  him. 

"At  the  first  realization  there  was  naturally  a  great 
shock  experienced.  Then  came  a  desire  to  escape  the 


266        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

ordeal  which  seemed  to  be  first  overtaking  him,  and  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas'  flitted  hither  and  thither,  try 
ing  to  find  a  place  where  he  would  be  contented.  He 
came  to  Chihuahua,  the  very  city  to  which  he  fled  at  the 
time  in  his  previous  life  after  he  had  committed  the 
crime. 

"His  presence  here  was  an  assistance  in  awakening 
memory. 

"After  hearing  the  statements  of  various  witnesses, 
we  hope  to  close  the  case  with  a  glorious  victory  in  favor 
of  the  great  spiritual  life  each  could  live,  if  he  only 
knew"  concluded  the  prosecution. 

Catalina  Martinet  arose,  when  called  to  the  stand, 
and  when  asked  to  tell  all  she  knew  about  the  "Plunger 
from  Kansas,"  said: 

"In  that  life  gone  by,  of  which  you  speak,  I  had  the 
misfortune  to  be  born  not  according  to  law.  Ignorant 
of  the  cause  of  my  birth,  I  lived  the  life  of  a  happy 
child  up  to  the  age  of  tender  girlhood,  when  I  learned 
I  was  a  child  out  of  the  pale  of  civil  law;  then  my 
great  pride  was  crushed,  my  heart  was  broken,  and  I 
passed  away.  I  came  again,  however,  and  while  I  had 
the  misfortune  to  be  born  into  a  family  inharmonious, 
I  am  not  an  illegal  child.  I  will  leave  again  soon,  and 
when  I  return  I  will  be  in  the  most  harmonious  condi 
tion  for  spiritual  development." 

"The  child  seems  to  wander  in  her  thoughts,"  said 
the  judge  to  the  Governor. 

"With  your  permission,  I  will  speak  to  her,"  said  the 
Governor. 

The  judge  replied  by  an  inclination  of  his  head,  and 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        267 

the  Governor  said:  "Catalina,  it  is  the  story  of  the 
Tlunger  from  Kansas'  the  court  wishes  to  hear." 

Catalina  looked  at  the  court  dazed  for  a  moment, 
then  going  to  the  Governor,  placed  her  arms  around  him 
and  said:  "My  papa,  I  was  unhappy  a  moment  ago; 
that  is  why  I  was  telling  of  my  misfortune.  I  will  now 
tell  all  I  know  about  the  Tlunger  from  Kansas.' " 

Exclamations  of  surprise,  disgust  and  pleasure  were 
heard  on  every  side,  but  when  Catalina  began  to  speak, 
everything  was  severely  quiet  again. 

In  answer  to  the  question  from  Miss  Hinckley's 
attorney:  "Did  you  know  the  accused  in  a  life  gone 
by  ?"  Catalina  replied :  "I  did,  your  Honor." 

"Then  tell  us  all  you  know  about  him,"  said  the 
counsel. 

"One  cold,  rainy  night,  a  cab  drove  up  to  our  house. 
I  heard  it,  and  childlike  I  was  anxious  to  know  why 
such  an  unusual  occurrence  was  happening.  My 
mother  opened  the  door,  and  Mr.  J.  Ecarg  stepped  into 
the  room.  He  often  came  to  our  house,  and  when  he 
did  not  have  too  much  pulque  he  was  pleasant.  This 
night  he  had  had  much,  and  told  my  mother  there  were 
two  men  in  the  cab  outside,  and  she  must  let  them  have 
the  only  room  we  had  with  a  bed  in  it.  My  mother 
said  she  did  not  want  them,  and  he  told  her  not  to  be  a 
fool;  that  they  would  stay  anyway,  and  she  would  be 
well  paid.  They  came.  He  did  not  give  their  names, 
but  the  fellow  who  was  trembling  and  crying,  he  after 
wards  told  my  mother,  was  the  Tlunger  from  Kansas' 
— that  he  was  hiding  from  people  in  the  United  States, 
because  he  had  stolen  cattle  from  these  people  and  sold 


268        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

them.  Mr.  Ecarg  threatened  my  mother  in  various 
ways,  if  she  ever  told  about  the  men  being  at  her  house, 
what  she  saw  them  do,  or  heard  them  say.  They  often 
had  a  Mexican  lawyer  and  an  interpreter;  this  lawyer 
knew  everything  and  gave  them  advice.  I  was  often 
in  the  room  when  he  was  there,  playing  with  my  dolls, 
and  I  heard  all  they  said.  The  Plunger  gave  me  cen- 
tavos  often,  and  said  he  liked  little  girls.  And  he  gave 
me  these  pictures;  this  one  is  of  him;  this  his  wife, 
and  this  his  baby,"  concluded  Catalina,  handing  the 
pictures  out  to  the  attorney,  and  seating  herself  beside 
the  Governor. 

From  one  to  another  of  the  legal  profession  on  the 
rostrum  the  photographs  were  passed. 

The  accused  was  then  asked  to  take  his  place,  and  the 
attorney  began  a  series  of  interrogations. 

"What  is  your  name?" 

"I  am  called  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas/  9> 

"Have  you  any  knowledge  of  a  previous  life  on 
earth?" 

"I  have,  your  Honor." 

"Did  you  ever  see  this  picture  before?" 

"It  is  myself,  long  ago,  though  not  unlike  me  now." 

"And  this,  and  this?"  continued  the  lawyer. 

"This,"  exclaimed  the  Plunger,  "is  a  splendid  pho 
tograph  of  my  wife  of  long  ago  !  Poor  woman,  how  she 
stayed  by  me  during  my  trouble,  until  death  claimed 
her  as  his  own.  Ah;  and  this  is  the  child  we  loved 
and  who  never  came  again." 

"Did  you  know  the  witness  just  on  the  stand?" 
asked  the  lawyer. 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        269 

"I  did,  she  is  Catalina  Martinet,  and  the  image  of 
herself  in  the  life  gone  by.  J.  Ecarg  said,  when  he 
took  me  to  her  mother's,  the  night  she  spoke  of,  that  the 
child  was  his,  and  he  helped  to  support  the  mother." 

Mr.  Niksab  was  the  next  witness  called.  He  testi 
fied  to  his  knowledge  of  the  Plunger's  doings,  his  ac 
quaintance  with  Catalina  and  her  mother,  and  veri 
fied  the  statements  previously  made. 

J.  Ecarg  next  took  the  stand.  He  said  he  was  re 
penting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes  for  the  many  sins  he 
committed  in  that  life  gone  by.  He  said  the  good  Gov 
ernor  would  give  testimony  to  the  truth  of  his  unholy 
conduct  in  that  life  long  since  passed,  of  his  relations 
to  Catalina's  mother,  and  his  connection  with  the 
"Plunger  from  Kansas."  He  said  his  time  here  was 
short,  but  in  a  future  life  on  earth,  he  would  live  on 
a  higher  plane,  because  he  remembered,  and  in  conse 
quence  he  would  profit  by  his  past  varied  and  unhappy 
experiences. 

At  the  moment  J.  Ecarg  took  his  seat,  a  messenger 
handed  the  Governor  a  note.  After  reading  it^  he 
passed  it  to  the  judge,  and  in  turn  it  was  passed  to  the 
lawyers  on  either  side. 

After  a  brief  consultation  was  held  between  the 
judge,  the  attorneys  and  the  Governor,  the  lawyer  for 
prosecution  said: 

"Francisco  de  Urdinola  will  now  take  the  stand." 

A  tall,  well  built,  dark-complexioned  man,  of  com 
manding  presence  and  delightful  manners,  took  the 
stand. 

"Your  name  ?"  asked  the  court. 


270        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"I  am,  your  honor,  Francisco  de  TJrdinola." 

"What  is  your  occupation,  and  where  is  your  place 
of  residence?"  the  court  questioned. 

"I  have  the  honor  of  being  president  of  the  school 
'For  Hidden  Thought,'  and  my  place  of  residence  is 
Sal  till  o,  the  city  in  which  this  school  is  situated," 
quietly  replied  the  distinguished  man. 

"Do  you  know  the  accused?"  asked  the  court. 

"The  'Plunger  from  Kansas/  to  whom  you  refer,  I 
have  no  acquaintance  with  now." 

"Did  you  in  a  life  gone  by;  if  so,  tell  the  full  cir 
cumstances." 

The  stately  man  bowed  and  said:  "The  court  will 
grant  me  a  few  moments  to  explain  my  position  in  a 
life  previous  to  knowing  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas/ 
In  the  year  of  fifteen  hundred  and  fifty,  I  commanded 
an  expedition  against  a  tribe  of  Indians  called  the  Chi- 
mimecas,  who  inhabited  all  of  Northern  Mexico.  I 
came  north  as  far  as  the  beautiful  valley  of  what  after 
wards  was  known  as  Saltillo,  at  which  place  I  founded 
a  city  in  the  year  of  fifteen  hundred  and  fifty-nine. 
There  I  left  twenty  Spanish  families,  and  as  many  of 
the  conquered  Indian  tribe.  Going  further  north  I 
founded  many  other  cities.  Two  years  later  I  passed 
out  of  life,  but  my  entity  guided  the  life  of  my  son, 
whom  I  aided  in  subduing  the  Indians  in  every  way 
possible ;  also  in  bringing  sixty  Spanish  families  to  the 
beautiful  valley  of  Saltillo,  and  formally  laying  the 
foundation  of  the  city  in  fifteen  hundred  and  seventy- 
five.  My  son  remained  there  for  a  quarter  of  a  cen 
tury,  tyrannizing  over  the  conquered  Indians,  then 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        271 

passed  away.  A  craving  for  experience,  no  doubt,  led 
me  to  be  born  into  my  next  existence  in  the  United 
States  of  America,  although  of  Spanish  parentage. 
They  belonged  to  the  conquered  of  Mexico,  and  fled  to 
the  United  States  in  preference  to  returning  to  Spain. 
Now  comes  the  important  part  of  my  story.  I  in 
herited  from  my  father  large  tracts  of  land  in  the 
State  of  Kansas.  I  engaged  in  the  cattle  business,  and 
was  a  heavy  lender  to  dealers.  The  daring  young  man 
known  as  the  Tlunger  from  Kansas,'  was  one  of  my 
heaviest  borrowers.  I  trusted  him,  for  I  thought  he 
had  too  much  self  pride  to  prove  false  to  me,  being  his 
main  stay.  He  was,  like  Julius  Caesar,  too  ambitious, 
and  he  fell — and  by  his  fall  ruined  many  families, 
amongst  whom  was  my  own.  I  was  no  longer  a  young 
man,  and  seeing  nearly  all  swept  from  me  without  a 
moment's  warning,  I  felt  that  I  could  not  face  poverty, 
and  without  further  ado  I  gave  up  the  ghost.  Still  in 
quest  of  knowledge,  my  spirit,  now  free,  roamed  the 
world  over  in  the  hope  of  finding  the  open  sesame.  Up 
to  this  time  I  had  no  knowledge  of  a  previous  life,  but 
I  was  conscious  of  having  had  experiences  for  which  I 
could  not  account.  In  the  year  of  two  thousand  I 
again  became  identified  with  physical  life.  And  as  my 
experiences  in  spirit,  although  I  was  not  cognizant  of 
them,  fitted  me  to  live  on  a  high  spiritual  plane  in  the 
physical,  I  became,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  a  student  of 
the  occult,  with  the  result  you  know.  When  I  saw  the 
first  accounts  of  the  discoveries  of  your  great  Governor, 
and  that  by  means  of  'Memory  Fluid,'  he  was  trying  to 
find  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas,'  and  bring  him  to  justice 


272        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

by  means  of  remorse  of  conscience,  I  knew  that  in  some 
way  I  was  connected  with  him.  For  days  I  felt  as  if 
my  senses  were  leaving  me,  conscious  that  something 
must  be  done,  and  done  quickly.  My  silent  appeal  to 
the  Great  Cause  was  answered,  and  I  received  a  spiritual 
impression  from  his  honor,  Professor  Julio  Murillo, 
which  said :  'Take  "Memory  Fluid."  It  will  arrive  by 
the  next  express.'  From  that  moment  I  was  calm  and 
contented.  Fifteen  minutes  after  taking  that  wonder 
ful  fluid,  I  lived  in  memory  all  my  past  existences,  part 
of  which  I  have  just  related  to  you.  Yonder  sits  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas/  and  it  is  due  to  myself,  Miss 
Helen  Hinckley,  the  orphan  daughter  of  my  bosom 
friend  in  that  time  long  since  passed,  and  many  others 
who,  no  doubt,  will  speak  for  themselves,  that  he  re 
funds  the  amount  of  his  obligations  to  us  and  its  ac 
cumulations  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  years.  I  have 
nothing  further  to  say,  your  honor." 

The  great  Governor  of  Chihuahua  was  the  next  wit 
ness. 

He  was  not  questioned,  but  was  simply  requested  to 
state  what  he  knew  about  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas." 
Much  that  has  been  related  was  repeated  by  him,  to 
which  he  added  many  spicy  instances  connected  with  the 
life  of  the  Plunger  while  he  was  a  refugee  from  justice 
in  Chihuahua. 

"Shortly  after  arriving  in  the  city,"  said  the  Gov 
ernor,  "he  sent  me,  by  a  private  and  confidential  car 
rier,  his  card,  which  was  accompanied  by  two  thousand 
dollars  in  gold,  which  was  equivalent  then  to  nearly 
five  thousand  dollars  in  Mexican  money.  I  had  no  dis- 


The  Flight  of  Catalina's  Soul.        273 

position  to  accept  a  bribe,  nor  to  help  shield  him  from 
the  law.  He  fled  from  this  city  after  several  months, 
and  from  accounts  at  the  time  he  was  lost  at  sea  or  by 
pestilence;  but  by  his  own  confession  he  was  a  suicide. 
If  his  means  is  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  debts  he  owes,  I 
hope  the  law  will  take  all  he  has,  and  part  of  all  he 
earns,  for  employment  he  must  get  at  once,  until  every 
cent  he  stole  from  those  who  befriended  him,  is  paid." 

Helen  Hinckley  told  all  she  knew  of  the  Plunger, 
when  she  was  a  child,  and  he  a  frequent  visitor  at  her 
father's  house  in  Kansas  City.  She  said  that  she  was 
left  an  orphan  after  he  had  robbed  her  father,  and  her 
struggles  for  a  livelihood,  alone  and  unprotected,  were, 
even  yet,  when  she  thought  of  them,  a  horrible  night 
mare  to  her. 

No  further  witnesses  were  called,  nor  did  others 
present  themselves. 

Judge  Ulloa  announced  that  the  testimony  had  been 
heard,  and  the  jury  could  absent  itself  and  weigh  it  very 
carefully. 

During  its  absence  a  message  was  handed  the  Gov 
ernor.  After  looking  it  over,  he  arose  and  said :  "The 
message  in  hand  concerns  everybody  as  much  as  myself. 
It  is  from  the  War  Department,  and  reads :  'The  army 
of  the  rebellion  engaged  in  a  battle  with  the  United 
State  troops  in  West  Virginia,  at  an  early  hour  this 
morning.  The  loss  was  heavy  on  either  side,  but  the 
victory  is  ours.' " 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  wild  disorder  in  court, 
and  shouts  of:  "Truth  will  triumph,"  came  from 
every  side;  for  those  who  had  been  sympathizers  with 


274        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

the  rebels  before  the  trial  began,  were  now  thoroughly 
convinced  of  their  error,  and  strongly  favored  sup 
porting  the  Union  and  stimulating  scientific  investiga 
tions. 

At  the  height  of  their  rejoicing,  the  jury  entered, 
and  the  foreman  announced  that  the  vote  was  unani 
mous  in  favor  of  conviction. 

The  Plunger  was  asked  if  he  had  any  statement  to 
make.  He  arose  and  said:  "To  escape  the  torture 
of  mind,  soul  and  body  to  which  I  have  been  subjected 
through  this,  the  third  existence,  I  will  gladly  give  up 
every  cent,  and  work  to  pay  the  rest.  I  herewith  hand 
your  honor  checks  to  meet  my  full  obligations  to  Miss 
Hinckley  and  President  Francisco  de  Urdinola,  and 
part  pay  to  others  I  robbed;  the  balance  I  owe  them 
will  be  paid  as  I  earn  it." 

A  murmur  of  approval  was  heard  throughout  the 
court- room.  The  judge  dismissed  the  case. 

When  the  crowd  was  on  the  eve  of  rising  to  leave, 
Catalina  Martinet  arose,  and  throwing  her  arms  out, 
cried  in  a  voice  which  startled  everyone  and  made  them 
turn  around:  "Great  and  Everlasting  Cause,  and  all 
the  powers  that  be,  my  work  in  this  existence,  where 
my  home  environments  are  so  inharmonious,  is  done. 
I  pray  you,  let  me  depart,  and  come  again.  Now  that 
I  remember,  my  next  life  in  the  physical  will  be  of  the 
greatest  contentment  possible  on  earth;  for  I  will  be 
his  Honor's  child,  and  my  mother  will  be  Helen 
Hinckley.  Adieu,  all  whom  I  love  and  who  are  be 
loved  by  me;  adieu.  I  am  gone  but  I  will  come  again. " 
She  fell  back,  her  spirit  having  fled,  and  the  Gov 
ernor  caught  her  in  his  arms. 


The  Governor  Married.  275 


CHAPTEE  XIX. 

THE   GOVERNOR   MARRIED. 

JULIO  MURILLO  had  become  such  a  well-known  seer 
by  name,  and  also  well  known  through  the  press,  from 
the  fact  that  upon  him  alone  fell  the  responsibility  of 
deciding  whether  the  Governor  would  become  a  candi 
date  for  the  presidency  of  the  United  States  of  America 
or  not. 

Now  that  the  thirty  days'  time  he  had  requested  to  be 
given  him,  in  which  he  could  study  the  matter  over, 
was  on  the  eve  of  elapsing,  the  public  was  in  a  state 
of  great  excitement,  in  expectation  of  what  the  answer 
would  be. 

The  Governor  and  Helen  Hinckley  had  been  recluses 
since  the  day  of  the  trial  of  the  "Plunger  from  Kansas" 
was  concluded,  and  the  child,  Catalina  Martinet,  passed 
away.  She  had  grown  to  be  very  dear  to  them,  as  well 
as  a  favorite  with  a  great  many  people,  particularly 
those  persons  who  were  interested  in  scientific  investiga 
tions.  By  all  she  was  missed.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
knowledge  that  she  was  with  them  in  spirit,  and  would 
come  again  in  the  physical  life,  her  separation  from 
the  Governor  would  be  almost  unbearable  to  him. 
Helen  Hinekley  had  remained  at  the  Governor's  Man- 


276        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

sion  since  the  day  after  she  saved  him  from  the  clutches 
of  the  rebels.  She  had  no  home  since  the  trouble  in 
the  family  of  Francisco  E.  Cantu,  and  he  wished  to 
give  her  his  protection. 

She  was  now  seated  in  her  pretty  parlor  connected 
with  the  suite  of  rooms  she  occupied  in  her  future 
permanent  home,  and  was  reading  aloud  to  the  Gov 
ernor's  housekeeper,  a  dear  old  lady  of  whom  she  had 
grown  to  be  very  fond,  the  newspaper  accounts  of  the 
war. 

"It  is  only  a  question  of  a  few  more  weeks  until  the 
uprising  will  be  subdued,  and  hundreds  more  will  un 
derstand  the  law,"  replied  Miss  Hinckley,  in  answer  to 
a  question  propounded  by  her  companion. 

"The  paper  says/'  continued  Miss  Hinckley,  "that 
if  Senor  Julio  Murillo  decides  to-morrow  that  the  Gov 
ernor's  name  shall  be  entered  as  a  candidate  for  nomi 
nation  to  the  presidency  of  the  United  States  of 
America,  that  the  rebels  will  know  their  chances  for 
severing  the  Union  will  be  smaller  than  at  present,  and 
they  will  gradually  disperse,  themselves/' 

"Is  the  question  of  whether  he  will  or  will  not 
allow  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  candidate  for  nomina 
tion  to  the  presidency,  to  be  decided  to-morrow?" 
asked  the  housekeeper. 

"That  is  my  understanding,"  replied  Miss  Hinck 
ley,  "and  while  I  have  not  spoken  to  the  scientist, 
Julio  Murillo,  in  regard  to  the  matter,  a  knowledge 
comes  to  me  from  within  that  he  will  report  favorably, 
and  when  the  election  takes  place,  his  Honor  will  be  the 
next  President  of  the  United  States  of  America.  From 


The  Governor  Married.  277 

a  material  point  of  view,  it  is  a  great  honor;  but  from 
a  spiritualistic  point  of  view  it  is  no  honor." 

"Do  you  not  believe,"  replied  her  companion,  "that 
the  election  of  Governor  Lehumada  will  be  the  means  of 
promulgating  spiritual  researches?" 

"His  election  is  the  only  means  now  known  that  will 
bring  about  that  end.  It  is  the  inevitable,  and  his  elec 
tion  will  take  place,"  replied  Miss  Hinckley. 

At  that  moment  a  light  knock  was  heard  at  the  door. 
At  Miss  Hinckley's  request  it  was  opened,  and  Juan 
entered.  He  handed  Miss  Hinckley  two  cards,  one 
bearing  the  name  of  Julio  Murillo,  the  other  of  Gnil- 
lermo  Gonzales.  On  the  latter  was  written:  "We  are 
requested  by  his  Honor,  to  see  you  upon  a  matter  of 
much  importance." 

"Show  them  in,  Juan;  show  the  gentlemen  here  at 
once,"  replied  Miss  Hinckley.  "But  what  is  the  matter  ? 
You  seem  to  be  terribly  distressed/'  she  concluded,  as 
Juan  was  leaving. 

"Oh,  miss,"  he  cried;  "there  is  enough  the  matter. 
I  have  taken  more  'Memory  Fluid.' " 

"Is  that  all  ?"  asked  the  housekeeper. 

"That  is  enough,  quite  enough;  for  I  now  remember 
too  much,"  replied  Juan. 

"Then  you  are  one  of  us,  Juan,"  said  Miss  Hinck 
ley.  "When  the  scientists  leave,  Juan,  come  and  tell 
us  what  you  remember.  I  will  not  now  keep  you  wait 
ing  longer." 

Juan  passed  out,  and  the  housekeeper  arose  to  leave 
the  room.  "Do  not  go!"  exclaimed  Miss  Hinckley. 
"I  wish  you  to  be  present.  The  interview  concerns  the 


278        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

marriage  of  myself  and  his  Honor.  He  has  been  in  the 
most  serious  meditations  since  the  flight  of  dear  little 
Catalina's  soul.  I  have  not  seen  him  since  the  memora 
ble  day,  but  I  have  constantly  heard  from  him.  He 
says  it  is  the  physical  over  which  he  yet  has  not  perfect 
control,  and  that  makes  him  mourn  for  dear  little  Cata- 
lina.  She  has  been  with  him  in  spirit  since  the  moment 
of  her  departure.  And  while  he  realizes  that  her  pass 
ing  away  will  result  in  our  mutual  happiness,  he  still 
grieves  for  her." 

A  rap  at  the  door  interrupted  her  further  comments 
upon  the  subject.  The  two  scientists  entered,  and  after 
a  cordial  greeting,  Guillermo  Gonzales  said:  "Miss 
Hinckley,  his  Honor  deputized  friend  Julio  Murillo  and 
myself  to  ascertain  from  you  the  earliest  date  you 
would  consent  to  your  marriage  (already  taken  place 
spiritually,  with  him)  to  be  celebrated  publicly,  and  by 
the  civil  law." 

Miss  Hinckley  smiled  and  said :  "The  civil  law  must 
be  respected,  yet  I  feel  so  little  interest  in  it,  I  will  leave 
the  matter  entirely  in  the  hands  of  our  friend,  Julio 
Murillo.  The  seer  of  the  age  is  hereby  appointed  mas 
ter  of  ceremonies.  Is  that  not  a  wise  conclusion, 
Senor  Gonzales?"  concluded  Miss  Hinckley. 

"His  Honor,  the  Governor,  will  be  greatly  pleased, 
Miss  Hinckley,  for  as  you  know,  the  Governor  trusts  him 
with  all  the  affairs  of  the  Government,  and  he  is  the 
greatest  seer  of  the  age,"  replied  Guillermo  Gonzales. 

Without  any  embarrassment  whatever,  at  the  great 
knowledge  attributed  to  him,  Julio  said :  "The  day  set 
to  nominate  candidates  for  the  office  of  the  presidency 


The  Governor  Married.  279 

of  the  United  States  of  America,  will  take  place  on  the 
twenty-third  day  of  this  month.  Governor  Lehumada 
will  be  nominated  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.  At 
twelve  o'clock  the  state  marriage  ceremony  will  take 
place  in  the  parlors  of  the  gubernatorial  Mansion,  and 
will  be  performed  by  Judge  Ulloa,  of  the  Supreme 
bench.  After  the  civil  ceremony  I  will  make  the  formal 
announcement  of  your  spiritual  marriage,  which  took 
place  some  time  ago ;  after  which,  a  reception  will  take 
place,  and  many  renowned  people  will  be  present,  some 
of  whom  will  be  from  the  spirit  world,"  quietly  con- 
eluded  the  great  seer, 

"From  a  human  point  of  view  I  am  delighted,  and 
from  a  sense  of  the  fitness  of  the  eternal,  my  soul  is 
contented,  and  cries  out  in  great  joy  at  the  harmony  of 
my  life.  Tell  his  Honor  I  am  conscious  of  his  presence 
always,  and  of  his  great  love  for  me.  It  is  to  me  the 
'peace  of  the  soul  that  passeth  all  understanding';  the 
understanding,  of  course,  of  the  uninitiated"  said  the 
Governor's  fiancee. 

"To-morrow,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales,  "will  be  an 
nounced  publicly  his  Honor's  intentions  of  becoming  a 
candidate  for  the  office  of  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America." 

"At  the  same  time,"  continued  Julio  Murillo,  "the 
public  announcement  of  the  date  of  your  and  his 
Honor's  marriage  will  be  made." 

"I  am  content  to  leave  everything  to  your  judgment, 
friend  Julio,"  said  Miss  Hinckley,  extending  her  hand 
to  them  as  they  arose  to  leave. 

"Then  you  and  his  Honor  will  have  nothing  to  re- 


280        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

gret,"  said  Guillermo  Gonzales,  as  they  passed  from  the 
room. 

The  Governor's  good  housekeeper  clasped  Helen 
Hinckley  in  her  arms,  and  as  she  pressed  her  lips  to 
her  brow,  said,  with  tears  streaming  down  her  cheeks: 
"I  am  an  old  woman;  three-score  years  have  passed 
over  my  head,  yet  I  have  not  the  knowledge  of  which 
you  speak.  Tell  me,  my  child,  tell  me  from  whom  can 
I  learn  of  the  inner  life  ?" 

"It  can  only  come,  my  good  woman,  from  an  awaken 
ing  which  must  proceed  from  within,  out.  It  is  the 
subjective  life  that  must  make  itself  felt.  The  great 
Cause  which  lies  back  of  the  'powers  that  be/  must 
be  felt,  and  that  can  only  be  done  when  one's  life  is  in 
tune  with  the  great  Cause/' 

"But  how  am  I  to  tune  my  life  with  the  Great 
Cause?"  was  the  next  question. 

"By  making  the  physical  life  subservient  to  the 
spiritual  is  the  first  step,"  immediately  replied  Helen 
Hinckley. 

"Then  the  taking  of  'Memory  Fluid'  will  do  much 
toward  the  desired  end,  I  suppose,"  said  the  housekeeper, 
evidently  much  interested  in  how  to  become  spiritual. 
"Tell  me  about  that  wonderful  fluid,  Miss  Hinckley. 
How  did  it  affect  you,  and  after  what  length  of  time  ?" 

"Juan  is  coming,  my  dear  woman.  He  no  doubt 
will  be  able  to  explain  to  you,  better  than  I,  the  work 
ings  of  'Memory  Fluid,' "  said  Helen  Hinckley,  as  she 
drew  her  companion  onto  the  sofa  by  her  side. 

As  prophesied  by  Miss  Hinckley,  Juan's  steps  were 
heard  at  the  door,  and  on  being  asked  to  come  in,  he 


The  Governor  Married.  281 

entered,  timidly,  and  dropped  into  the  nearest  chair 
without  any  invitation.  Miss  Hinckley  smiled  to  her 
self  as  she  looked  at  him. 

The  housekeeper  looked  worried  and  said:  "And 
you  have  taken  more  'Memory  Fluid/  Juan  ?  Is  that  why 
you  are  so  sad?" 

"Yes,  madam,  that  is  the  reason,"  replied  Juan. 

"Then  you  regret  having  taken  it,"  was  her  next 
comment. 

"Not  in  the  least,"  replied  Juan.  "I  would  rather  be 
sad  for  a  season  and  ~know,  than  be  ignorant  and  happy. 
For  the  happiness  of  the  ignorant  is  not  lasting.  And 
when  one  recovers  from  the  shock,  which  first  makes 
them  sad,  of  having  learned  the  lesson,  I  fancy  that  no 
worldly  affairs  can  mar  his  happiness.  I  understand 
now  what  dear  little  Catalina  meant  by  things  not  seen 
ly  the  eye  or  heard  by  the  ear." 

"Tell  us,  Juan,  of  your  other  lives,  if  you  have  the 
remembrance  of  any.  Mrs.  Serrano  is  interested  in 
'Memory  Fluid/  "  said  Miss  Hinckley. 

"That  is  what  I  came  to  tell  you ;  but  I  do  not  feel  so 
sad  about  what  I  know  as  I  did  a  while  ago.  First 
I  took  two  tablespoonfuls  of  'Memory  Fluid/  In  three 
minutes  afterwards  I  was  astonished  to  see  myself  a 
little  boy,  walking  down  the  street  in  South  America, 
holding  the  hand  of  the  'Plunger  from  Kansas/  I 
nearly  fainted  at  the  shock  it  gave  me.  I  heard  him  say : 
'Poor  lad;  his  mother  is  gone.  They  are  hot  on  my 
tracks,  after  five  years  of  dodging  here,  and  were  it  not 
for  the  lad  I  would  end  my  existence  now.  What  would 
you  do,  son,  if  you  had  no  papa  to  care  for  you?'  he 


282        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

asked,  turning  to  me.  I  swelled  up  in  great  fashion, 
and  replied:  'I  would  join  the  circus  and  be  the 
clown/  He  was  shocked,  of  course;  no  doubt,  he 
wished  me  to  be  a  plunger  like  himself.  Imagine  my 
feelings,  Miss  Hinckley,  when  I  was  forced  to  realize 
that  I  was  born  into  my  first  existence  the  son  of  the 
'Plunger  from  Kansas.' " 

"You  were  not  to  blame,  Juan,  and  now  that  you  re 
member,  see  that  in  your  next  physical  existence  you  do 
not  enter  an  inharmonious  physical  dwelling,"  replied 
Helen  Hinckley. 

"How  interesting/'  added  Mrs.  Serrano.  "Tell  us, 
Senor  Juan,  did  you  join  the  circus  and  become  a 
clown?" 

Helen  Hinckley  smiled  at  her  inquisitiveness,  and 
continued:  "Certainly,  friend  Juan,  tell  us  all  about 
yourself  in  other  lives." 

"I  did,  madam,  and  lived  the  life  of  a  clown  up  to  a 
ripe  old  age.  I  broke  my  neck  my  turning  a  double 
somersault,  and  died  without  the  least  pain,"  said  Juan. 

"And  did  you  live  again  before  now?"  eagerly  asked 
Mrs.  Serrano. 

"Yes,"  replied  Juan,  as  he  heaved  a  great  sigh ;  "that 
calamity  happened  to  me." 

"Why  do  you  call  it  a  calamity  ?"  asked  Mrs.  Serrano. 

"Because  I  presented  myself  into  a  family  who  were 
intent  upon  opening  up  missionary  schools — that  was 
in  Chicago — and  if  they  couldn't  make  the  children  be 
lieve  as  they  did,  by  giving  them  a  sweet  cake  now  and 
then,  they  used  a  club,  and  the  children  said  they  be 
lieved  as  they  did  whether  they  did  or  not.  When  I 


The  Governor  Married.  283 

was  ten  years  old  I  heard  my  father  say  that  he  had 
raked  in  five  thousand  dollars  that  year,  over  and  above 
expenses.  When  I  told  him  he  had  committed  a  great 
sin,  he  gave  me  a  lick  with  a  great  club,  over  the  back. 
In  about  an  hour  my  soul  fled,  and  just  before  I  passed 
over,  I  remember  I  thought  how  glad  I  would  be  to  get 
rid  of  such  a  life.  You  can  hardly  imagine  how  con 
ceited  I  was  about  my  past,  before  taking  'Memory 
Fluid.'  I  thought  if  I  had  lived  at  all,  I  certainly  had 
been  a  man  of  very  great  note.  I  even  imagined 
myself  in  one  life  Julius  Caesar;  in  another  George 
Washington;  and  yet  another,  the  great,  though  not 
very  beloved,  Santa  Ana.  That  was  the  cause  of  my 
sad  face  when  I  first  learned  the  truth.  It  was  a  great 
fall  for  my  feathers.  I  have  knowledge  now,  and  I  do 
not  care  for  the  vanities  of  life,"  concluded  Juan,  as  he 
rose  to  leave  the  room. 

"You  feel  better,  Juan,"  said  Miss  Hinckley,  "be 
cause  you  have  had  a  feast  of  the  soul.  You  have  been 
in  an  harmonious  circle  for  the  last  thirty  minutes,  and 
it  is  the  first  time  since  your  awakening.  Many 
people  with  good  intentions  are  made  demons,  because  of 
inharmonious  surroundings.  As  you  grow  strong  in 
the  Light,  we  will  enjoy  many  an  hour  together,  Juan." 

Juan  left  the  room  with  a  bow  and  a  "thank  you," 
and  Mrs.  Serrano  arose  and  walking  the  floor  back  and 
forth  in  intense  excitement,  said:  "My  dear  child, 
that  story  is  divine  to  me.  Show  me  the  way.  I  must 
know  if  I  had  a  past  existence." 

"I  can  do  nothing  more,  Mrs.  Serrano,  than  to  get 
you  a  little  of  'Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays/  known  as 


284        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

'Memory  Fluid.'  If  you  take  it,  I  feel  quite  sure  that 
you  will  not  be  disappointed  in  the  result/'  replied 
Helen  Hinckley. 

"Get  it,  child;  get  it,  and  I  will  take  it  in  honor  of 
yourself  and  the  good  Governor." 

While  Helen  Hinckley  knew  the  good  housekeeper 
would  take  it  mainly  to  satisfy  her  curiosity,  she  cheer 
fully  gave  her  a  vial  of  the  liquid,  and  said :  "Have  no 
fears,  Mrs.  Serrano;  no  harm  can  result  from  it. 
When  your  memory  is  restored,  I  will  gladly  take  you 
with  me  on  a  trip  through  space." 

"How  charming,  to  be  the  envy  of  all  eyes,"  said  the 
worldly  Mrs.  Serrano. 

Helen  Hinckley  made  no  reply,  but  laughed  heartily 
as  the  two  separated  for  the  night  (so  Mrs.  Serrano 
thought)  ;  but  Helen  Hinckley  knew  they  would  not 
meet  again  until  her  wedding  .day.  She  knew  how 
keenly  Mrs.  Serrano  would  feel  the  disappointment  in 
not  being  able  to  tell  her  to-morrow  what  she  remem 
bered,  and  take  a  trip  through  space,  yet  she  knew 
it  was  for  her  good,  and  she  caused  the  delay. 

Time  in  the  Governor's  Mansion  went  very  quickly, 
and  Helen  Hinckley  was  as  happy  as  a  mortal  can  be. 
Now  that  the  day  had  arrived  which  would  be  cele 
brated  in  her  and  the  Governor's  honor  with  so  much 
grandeur,  she  could  hardly  realize  that  she  was  the  same 
Helen  Hinckley  who  came  to  the  great  city  of  Chihua 
hua  only  a  short  time  ago,  homeless,  friendless  and 
almost  penniless,  searching  in  an  ill-defined  way  for  her 
other  self,  and  for  the  one  who  had  caused  her  to  be 
an  orphan  in  a  life  gone  by,  and  who  was  instrumental 


The  Governor  Married.  285 

in  causing  her  grief  and  sorrow  in  her  present  life — 
the  loss  of  parents,  home  and  money. 

She  attributed  all  of  her  good  fortune  to  the  high 
life  she  had  always  aimed  to  live;  to  her  delving  with 
things  pertaining  to  the  occult,  and  the  taking  of 
"Memory  Fluid."  She  was  happy  and  knew  the  cause, 
so  nothing  could  mar  her  pleasure.  Before  she  left  her 
room,  which  was  at  an  early  hour,  numerous  congratu 
latory  messages  were  brought  to  her  from  President 
Mortingo  and  others  of  note,  as  well  as  from  many 
others,  from  various  parts  of  the  world,  wholly  unknown 
to  herself  and  to  the  public. 

When  she  was  through  reading  the  first  lot  of  messages 
received,  she  dressed  herself  in  a  close-fitting  black 
gown,  from  the  bottom  of  which  only  her  feet  extended, 
and  took  a  trip  through  space.  When  she  reached  the 
very  outskirts  of  the  city,  she  sat  down  near  the  top  of 
one  of  the  Sierra  Madre  mountains. 

The  sun  was  just  rising,  and  she  thought  she  had 
never  seen  such  a  beautiful  sight.  Out  from  the  rays 
of  the  sun  there  seemed  to  glide  a  figure  of  some  per 
son.  When  it  came  closer  and  became  more  distinct, 
she  recognized  Catalina. 

The  child  smiled,  and  said :  "We  will  be  at  your  wed 
ding,  dear  Helen." 

"I  do  not  see  anyone  but  you,  sweet  child,"  said  Miss 
Hinckley. 

"I  mean,"  continued  Catalina,  "Marriet  Motuble  and 
I.  She  will  not  come,  though,  unless  his  Honor  is 
willing." 

"There  he  comes,"  said  Miss  Hinckley,  rising  to  meet 
the  Governor;  "ask  him." 


286        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"You  were  expecting  me,  dear  life.  I  can  hardly 
realize  that  this  is  the  day  to  which  I  have  so  long 
looked  forward,  the  day  on  which  all  the  world  may 
know  that  we  have  conformed  to  the  civil  law  and  are 
•thereby  man  and  wife  according  to  human  customs," 
said  the  great  Governor,  as  he  folded  her  in  his  arms. 

"I  am  sure,  my  other  self,  there  will  be  nothing  to 
mar  our  happiness,  since  we  both  remember  and  are  con 
scious  of  having  sought  for  each  other  throughout  two 
existences,  and  knew  no  peace  until  we  were  found," 
replied  the  woman  whom  he  loved. 

"Some  one  must  be  hiding  close  by,  dear  heart;  in 
fact,  I  feel  the  presence  of  many  besides  you,"  said  the 
Governor,  glancing  nervously  around. 

"My  other  life,  my  dear  heart,  I  was  so  rejoiced  at 
seeing  you,  that  I  neglected  to  tell  you  that  we  have  com 
pany.  Come;  there  are  Catalina  and  Marriet  Motuble 
sitting  by  that  big  rock."  She  led  him  by  the  hand  to 
the  rock. 

"I  do  not  see  them,"  cried  his  Honor. 

"You  are  too  much  engrossed  with  physical  pleasures, 
my  other  life,  to  see  the  spiritual  form  of  the  dear  child 
you  love  so  well,  and  of  the  erstwhile  aggressive  senorita, 
as  you  were  wont  to  call  Marriet  Motuble.  She  wishes 
to  get  your  consent  to  attend  our  marriage,"  said  Miss 
Hinckley. 

"You  have  spoken  wisely,  dear  Helen.  I  am  a  little 
out  of  tune  this  morning.  I  have  allowed  my  vanity  to 
be  nattered  by  the  assurance  from  Julio  that  I  am  to  be 
the  next  President  of  the  great  United  States  of 
America.  Yes,  say  to  Marriet  Motuble,  dear  Helen, 


The  Governor  Married.  287 

that  we  will  be  pleased  to  have  her  at  our  wedding  as 
sembly,"  concluded  the  Governor. 

The  Governor  and  Helen  Hinckley  bade  their  spirit 
friends  adieu,  and  hand  in  hand  they  glided  through 
the  air,  and  discussed  the  possibilities  of  the  future  in 
regard  to  scientific  discoveries  and  the  growth  of  spirit 
ual  knowledge. 

So  contented  were  they  away  from  the  bustle  of  life, 
that  they  did  not  realize  how  swiftly  time  was  flying, 
and  when  they  returned  to  the  Governor's  Mansion,  the 
hour  was  nearly  eleven-thirty.  A  message  awaited  the 
Governor,  announcing  his  nomination.  Only  one  half- 
hour  remained  for  them  to  prepare  for  their  wedding. 
Guests  had  already  arrived  in  large  numbers.  Judge 
Ulloa  and  many  of  the  legal  fraternity  and  scientists 
clamored  for  the  Governor,  to  offer  their  congratulations 
for  the  great  victory  he  had  achieved. 

Mrs.  Grange  was  there,  and  persisted  in  being  al 
lowed  to  be  the  first  to  congratulate  the  Governor. 

Poor  woman !  She  was  very  much  cast  down.  Her 
husband  had  died  recently,  as  a  result  of  not  being  able 
to  recover  from  the  disgrace  of  losing  his  position 
through  joining  the  rebel  party  and  of  having  a  wife 
who  had  been  a  subject.  Mrs.  Grange  was  a  changed 
woman.  She  endeavored  to  live  a  higher  and  better 
life,  but  having  the  physical  developed  more  than  the 
spiritual,  it  was  difficult  for  her  to  be  in  this  life  much 
different  in  her  actions,  after  remembering,  than  her 
long  life  of  dissipation,  intriguing  and  deceit  had  made 
her. 

At  Miss  Hinckley's  suggestion  the  Governor  had  given 


288        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

her  a  place  in  the  State  Library  as  one  of  the  under 
clerks,  that  she  might  earn  her  daily  bread.  She  was 
still  a  coquette,  and  not  much  hopes  were  felt  for  her 
in  her  present  existence.  It  was  common  talk  at  the 
library  that  she  was  laying  siege  to  the  heart  of  the 
scientist,  Guillermo  Gonzales;  but  what  impression  she 
had  been  able  to  make  no  one  knew  but  the  scientist. 

Promptly  at  eleven-thirty  the  bridal  party  entered  the 
large  parlors,  which  were  beautifully  decorated. 

Helen  Hinckley  was  on  the  arm  of  Guillermo  Gon 
zales,  and  Governor  Lehumada  had  for  his  best  man 
the  renowned  seer,  Julio  Murillo. 

Guillermo  Gonzales  handed  Miss  Hinckley  to  her  be 
trothed,  and  Judge  Ulloa  pronounced  the  words  which, 
according  to  the  civil  law  of  the  land  made  these  two 
people  recognized  as  man  and  wife. 

When  the  Governor  and  his  bride  faced  the  audience, 
the  entire  room  seemed  suddenly  to  be  filled  with  thou 
sands  of  invisible  musicians.  Such  delightful  strains 
of  melody  had  never  been  heard  by  man  before !  The 
Governor  and  his  bride  stopped,  and  with  faces  beaming 
with  happiness  looked  up,  and  listened  intently  to  the 
divine  music  that  seemed  to  come  from  above. 

One  by  one  the  people  arose  and  assumed  the  same  lis 
tening  attitude. 

The  melodious  sounds  ceased  for  a  moment,  and  Mrs. 
Grange  ran  forward,  clutched  the  arm  of  the  Governor 
and  cried:  "Your  Honor,  forgive  me;  but  I  must 
know  from  whence  all  of  this  music  comes,  or  I  will  go 
wild.  I  feel  as  if  I  would  fall  dumb  with  terror !"  She 
threw  her  head  around,  rolled  her  eyes  from  one  side 


The  Governor  Married.  289 

to  the  other,  and  looked  the  very  picture  of  one  insane 
from  fright. 

"Dear  Mrs.  Grange/'  said  the  Governor,  "the  music 
comes  from  my  spirit  friends;  they  are  celebrating  the 
union  of  two  lives  between  which  there  is  perfect  har 
mony." 

"Catalina  leads  the  band.  You  know  her,  do  you  not, 
Mrs.  Grange  ?"  asked  the  Governor's  bride. 

"I  did  know  her,"  replied  Mrs.  Grange,  "but  I  do 
not  care  to  know  her  now.  "Oh,  God,  if  to  remember 
makes  one  undergo  such  torture  as  this,  I  pray  you  to  let 
me  pass  into  oblivion." 

"That  is  how  I  felt,"  said  Juan,  coming  close  by, 
"when  remembrance  first  came  to  me.  You  certainly 
would  not  blame  me  for  wishing  to  die  and  never  know 
again,  when  I  became  conscious  that  my  first  existence 
upon  the  physical  plane  was  as  the  son  of  the  'Plunger 
from  Kansas.' ': 

A  murmur  of  surprise  was  heard  from  every  side. 
The  Plunger  was  there,  and  when  asked  by  the  Gov 
ernor  if  he  remembered  Juan  in  a  life  gone  by,  he  ex 
claimed  :  "Yes !  and  great  God !  I  was  not  sorry  I 
committed  suicide,  for  to  have  seen  my  son  a  clown  in 
a  circus,  when  we  had  such  great  aspirations  for  him, 
would  have  finished  me." 

"The  wrongs  committed  and  the  evil  done  others  con 
sciously  and  unconsciously,  will  be  obliterated  in  an 
other  life.  This  is  a  great  school  and,  friends,  we  all 
are  learning.  Our  musical  friends  wish  to  give  us  one 
more  grand  serenade  before  departing,"  said  the  Gov 
ernor. 


290        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Julio  Murillo  arose,  and  addressing  the  Governor, 
said :  "With  your  Honor's  permission,  I  will  deliver  a 
message  to  Mrs.  Grange  from  her  husband." 

"My  permission  is  granted,  if  Mrs.  Grange  wishes  to 
hear  it  delivered,"  replied  the  Governor. 

Mrs.  Grange  was  hanging  onto  the  arm  of  the  scien 
tist,  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  with  one  of  her  most  be 
witching  smiles  looked  up  into  his  face  and  said: 
"Would  it  be  wise  to  hear  it,  Senor  Gonzales?" 

The  great  scientist  smiled,  in  spite  of  his  efforts  to 
control  it,  at  the  conspicuous  and  humorous  position  he 
occupied,  and  said:  "Dear  Mrs.  Grange,  it  is  due 
science  that  you  hear  his  message,  as  well  as  to  show  the 
proper  respect  to  your  once  dearly  beloved  husband." 

In  a  low  voice,  full  of  emotion,  she  said :  "Tell  Senor 
Julio  to  deliver  it." 

Julio  Murillo,  the  great  seer,  was  the  object  of  great 
est  interest  to  all  present,  and  in  their  eyes  he  was  a 
connoisseur. 

He  approached  near  the  place  where  the  Governor  and 
his  bride  had  seated  themselves,  and  with  hands  out 
stretched,  asked  the  Great  Cause  and  the  powers  that 
be,  to  make  the  great  assembly  of  mortals  present  see 
the  spiritual  serenaders ;  to  let  them  surround  the  bridal 
party,  and  when  he  had  delivered  the  message  from  Mrs. 
Grange's  husband  to  her,  they  could  end  the  marriage 
celebration  with  their  music. 

Mrs.  Grange  leaned  heavier  and  heavier  upon  the  arm 
of  Guillermo  Gonzales,  and  gazed  upon  the  face  of  the 
Governor  and  this  bride  with  eyes  that  seemed  charmed, 
and  her  face  shone  with  rage  and  jealousy. 


The  Governor  Married.  291 

The  eyes  of  everyone  were  riveted  upon  the  Governor 
and  his  bride  and  the  scientist 

Julio  Murillo  stood  a  moment,  eyes  lowered  as  if  in 
silent  prayer,  then  raising  his  head  and  stepping  aside, 
said :  "They  are  here." 

The  exclamations  of  "Oh's,"  and  "Oh,  dear,"  "I  see," 
"I  see,"  "That  is  Catalina,"  and  "Harriet  Motuble," 
were  frequently  heard. 

Julio  said :  "Mrs,  Grange,  this  is  what  your  husband 
says :  'Beware,  Inez ;  do  not  make  so  many  pitfalls  as 
you  have  in  the  past,  or  you  will  never  have  an  har 
monious  life.' "  Mrs.  Grange's  head  fell  forward  when 
the  message  was  finished.  Senor  Guillermo  Gonzales 
laid  her  on  a  lounge  near  by.  Her  soul  had  fled. 

The  spirit  band  at  that  moment  sent  forth  delicious 
strains  of  melody.  Catalina  played  the  harp  and  Mar- 
riot  Motuble  towered  above  the  rest  at  their  backs  and 
blew  a  large  horn ;  the  vibrations  which  made  the  music 
were  so  large  that  they  could  be  seen  by  everyone. 

When  they  had  ceased,  the  Governor  and  his  bride 
arose  to  leave,  after  thanking  those  present  for  the  honor 
they  had  paid  them.  As  they  glided  through  the  air  out 
of  the  room,  to  the  amazement  of  all,  the  spiritual  band 
followed  them,  playing  Milton's  "Allegro." 


292        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE   CELEBRATION. 

PRESIDENT  MIGUEL  LEHUMADA  was  entering  upon  the 
third  year  of  his  second  term  as  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America. 

All  of  the  prophecies  of  the  seer,  Julio  Murillo,  had 
been  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  The  nation  clamored  for 
him  to  be  placed  at  the  head  of  the  "National  School 
for  Scientific  Development,"  but  he  preferred  to  re 
main  in  the  home  of  President  Lehumada  and  carry 
on  his  scientific  investigations  quietly  and  alone,  save 
for  the  companionship  of  a  few  whom  he  knew  to  be 
earnest  in  their  investigations  and  of  an  harmonious 
temperament  to  him. 

The  President  and  his  wife  were  of  tnc  greatest  as 
sistance  to  him,  and  while  the  President  was  ever  busy 
with  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  and  his  wife  with  her 
social  and  domestic  duties,  they  both  found  time  to 
attend  to  the  development  of  their  spiritual  life,  and 
they  never  wearied  practicing  their  beliefs,  and  thereby 
showing  others  the  beauties  a  knowledge  of  the  only 
real  life  gave  them.  Senor  Julio  lectured  once  a  month 
to  the  school,  and  the  President  and  his  wife  never  failed 
to  be  present. 

The    petition    presented    by    President     Lehumada, 


The  Celebration.  293 

when  he  was  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  to  the  United 
States  Congress,  asking  that  all  priests  and  female 
members  of  different  orders  of  the  Church  be  granted 
the  privilege  of  marrying  without  the  consent  of  the 
Pope,  and  that  both  priests  and  pastors  become  less  like 
parasites  upon  the  community,  had  become  a  law,  and 
the  effect  of  it  was  already  felt  by  the  people. 

And  many  men  too  lazy  to  earn  an  honest  living,  and 
who  claimed  to  have  been  called  to  preach  the  Gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ,  turned  their  attention  to  something  else, 
when  they  learned  that  if  they  had  no  means  they  would 
be  compelled  to  engage  in  some  honorable  work  to 
help  support  themselves,  while  trying  to  convert  people 
to  a  religion  which  they  claim  to  be  called  to  preach, 
and  help  those  whom  they  sought  to  teach,  instead  of 
being  a  burden  upon  them. 

Since  the  petition  became  a  law,  quite  six  years  ago, 
it  was  shown  by  statistics  that  the  number  of  fine  build 
ings  called  churches,  which  had  been  built  every  year 
previous  to  the  passage  of  the  law,  had  diminished  more 
than  one-half,  and  on  the  other  hand,  the  number  of 
homes  built  and  well  furnished  by  the  poor,  had  been 
on  the  increase  each  year  since  that  time. 

There  seemed  to  be  less  immorality  than  formerly; 
for  each  person  who  had  no  visible  means  of  support  was 
given  employment,  if  he  were  able  to  work ;  if  not,  such 
persons  were  cared  for  by  the  State.  However,  there 
were  very  few  people  who  were  disabled  for  work  by 
chronic  diseases.  "Memory  Fluid"  had  become  a 
powerful  germ  killer,  and  wherever  it  had  been  used, 
the  person  using  it  had  completely  recovered  from  the 
disease  which  had  disabled  him. 


294        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

The  use  of  it  was,  however,  not  compulsory;  and  a 
great  many  people  objected  to  taking  it,  preferring  to 
suffer  than  to  know  of  a  past  existence,  if  they  had 
any. 

In  cases  other  than  these,  no  one  was  incapacitated  for 
labor  unless  he  was  severely  crippled. 

Many  of  the  formerly  so-called  mysteries  of  life,  were 
no  longer  mysteries  to  the  great  body  of  thinking 
people,  to  those  who  had  been  subjects,  and  delvers  in 
spiritual  philosophy  at  the  "School  for  Hidden 
Thought,"  at  Saltillo,  since  their  awakening. 

Many  students  at  the  "National  School  for  Scientific 
Development"  knew  the  law,  and  continued  to  live 
their  lives  upon  the  highest  plane  possible,  and  their 
efforts  were  rewarded. 

Juan,  the  former  trusty  servant  of  Governor  Lehu- 
mada,  and  the  worldly  Mrs.  Serrano,  both  had  become 
valuable  assistants  in  the  diffusion  of  the  spiritual 
philosophy.  Juan  occupied  the  same  position  in  the 
private  laboratory  of  the  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  Guil 
lermo  Gonzales,  as  Julio  Murillo,  the  great  seer  and  con 
stant  associate  and  adviser  of  President  Lehumada,  did 
when  he  first  entered  the  employment  of  the  then  Gov 
ernor,  Miguel  Lehumada,  of  Chihuahua. 

Mrs.  Serrano  occupied  the  position  she  formerly  did, 
that  of  housekeeper,  with  the  exception  that  she  had 
added  to  her  name,  the  name  of  Degatau;  in  other 
words,  she  had  become  the  wife  of  Juan  Degatau.  They 
were  happy  in  their  new  life,  yet  both  realized  that  many 
existences  on  earth  would  have  to  be  experienced  by 
them  before  they  could  have  the  harmonious  condi- 


The  Celebration.  295 

tions  necessary  for  the  highest  knowledge  of  Law. 
They  did  their  duty  from  day  to  day,  as  they  under 
stood  it,  and  grew  stronger  in  the  knowledge  of  truth 
by  so  doing.  Strict  surveillance  was  for  a  long  time 
kept  over  the  revolutionists,  after  they  abandonded  their 
evil  designs  upon  the  government  to  all  outward  ap 
pearances.  At  the  same  time,  from  the  day  they  sur 
rendered,  which  was  on  the  first  inaugural  day  of 
President  Lehumada,  they  were  permitted  to  return  to 
their  homes  and  continue  their  usual  avocation  un 
molested.  Of  the  large  number  who  had  no  employ 
ment  and  no  means  of  support,  the  government  gave 
them  work  for  which  they  were  well  paid;  at  the  same 
time,  the  government  saw  that  the  work  was  well  done, 
at  the  proper  time.  No  one  realized  better  than  the 
famous  author  of  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,"  and 
the  great  seer,  Julio  Murillo,  that  "an  idle  brain  is  the 
devil's  worship" — to  use  the  language  frequently 
heard  on  all  sides  in  the  nineteenth  century — and  suit 
able  employment  was  given  to  everybody  who  could  not 
procure  it  themselves. 

There  were  very  few  people,  even  amongst  the  unin 
itiated,  who  were  given  to  shrugging  their  shoulders  at 
people  whose  calling  on  earth  was  very  lowly,  and  had 
not  sufficient  money  to  live  in  the  same  style  that  they 
did.  For  they  never  knew  who  of  them  had  taken 
"Memory  Fluid,"  or  belonged  to  the  great  society  of  the 
initiated. 

The  O'Sullivans  and  O'Bileys,  who  now  sped  around 
in  their  gilded  vehicles,  were  the  descendants  of  Pat  and 
Tim,  who  run  the  joints  around  the  corner  in  an  early 


296        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

day;  and  of  Mary  McPherson  and  Susan  O'Hallihan, 
both  of  whom  did  the  scrubbing  at  the  big  folks'  houses. 
These  people,  before  the  discovery  of  "Memory  Fluid/' 
boasted  of  their  social  position  and  inherited  wealth; 
for  they  never  dreamed  that  anyone  knew  or  would 
ever  know  that  Pat  and  Tim  killed  a  man  for  his  money 
in  their  "joint,"  one  night.  Since  the  trial  of  the 
"Plunger  from  Kansas,"  they  had  changed  so  much 
that  strangers  even  noticed  it. 

One's  social  position  is  rated  by  the  knowledge  he  has 
of  the  Great  Cause  and  his  desire  to  learn  spiritual 
truths. 

Money  no  one  scorns,  but  it  is  only  considered  as  the 
medium  by  which  commerce  is  carried  on;  the  means 
by  which  the  necessities  of  life  can  be  obtained  the  most 
independently.  The  sustaining  of  self  in  the  highest 
manner  possible  is  the  doctrine  the  teachers  of  the  occult 
inculcate.  To  be  true  to  self,  and  never  a  burden  on 
anyone  else,  was  the  first  great  lesson.  A  lesson  which 
none  but  the  initiated  could  understand. 

"The  beauties  which  emanate  from  the  Great  Cause 
are  so  numerous,  and  so  plainly  demonstrate  the  great 
'World  without  end,'  that  physical  man,  in  his  present 
state  of  grossness,  would  not  be  able  to  get  more  than  a 
peep  into  the  real  life  during  the  present  existence," 
Julio  Murillo,  the  great  seer,  often  said  to  those  seeking 
admittance  into  the  "National  School  for  Scientific 
Development,"  when  they  wished  to  be  placed  in  touch 
with  the  Hidden  immediately,  "Take  'Memory  Fluid.' " 

All  such  persons  were  first  advised  to  take  "Memory 
Fluid,"  after  which  there  would  be  some  hopes  for  them. 


The  Celebration.  297 

Preparations  were  begun  for  the  celebratioa  of  the 
discovery  of  "Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Kays,"  and  the  en 
tire  nation  had  been  invited  to  take  part,  by  the  pro- 
mulgators  of  tfie  "Schools  for  the  Study  of  the  Occult/' 
and  others  devoted  to  scientific  researches  in  general. 
It  was  to  be  a  great  event,  and  every  one  looked  forward 
to  it  with  great  pleasure. 

Not  since  the  marriage  day  of  the  President,  now 
seven  years  past,  had  the  public  ever  been  treated  to  a 
serenade  like  the  one  given  that  day  by  the  spirit  friends 
of  the  Governor  of  Chihuahua,  and  his  bride.  And 
many  hoped  the  same  music  would  come  again;  yet 
the  possibility  of  hearing  it  was  not  held  out  as  an 
inducement  to  secure  a  large  attendance. 

The  great  auditorium,  connected  with  the  grand 
Museum  at  Washington,  built  under  the  supervision  of 
President  Lehumada,  his  wife,  and  the  well-known  seer, 
Julio  Murillo,  had  a  seating  capacity  of  fifty  thousand 
people,  with  acoutics,  heating,  lighting,  cooling  and 
ventilating  facilities  unsurpassed. 

While  there  were  more  people  from  a  distance,  in 
Washington,  who  had  come  to  attend  the  celebration,  it 
was  hoped  that  everyone  who  desired  would  have  the  op 
portunity  of  being  present  at  one  or  more  of  the  lectures, 
to  be  delivered  during  the  three  days  of  celebration. 

Francisco  de  Urdinola,  president  of  the  "School  for 
Hidden  Thought/'  of  Saltillo;  Guillermo  Gonzales, 
Governor  of  Chihuahua ;  Juan  and  his  wife ;  and  "The 
Plunger  from  Kansas,"  were  conspicuous  figures  at  the 
national  capital.  The  Plunger  was  as  young  in  ap 
pearance  as  ever,  but  he  had  less  money  than  formerly, 


298        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

to  spend  on  such  occasions  as  the  present  one,  where 
it  had  been  his  delight  to  make  everyone  wonder  at  the 
freedom  with  which  he  spent  large  sums  of  money. 

He  wore  the  first  new  suit  of  clothes  he  had  bought 
since  the  conclusion  of  his  famous  trial.  Yet  the  money 
he  had  taken  by  stealth  in  the  life  long  since  passed, 
was  not  paid  in  full.  He  was  working  to  fulfill  his 
promise  to  lift  that  burden  he  had  helped  to  place  upon 
himself  in  his  present  existence,  for  he  well  knew  that; 
if  he  failed  to  pay  the  debt  now,  he  would  be  compelled 
to  do  so  in  a  life  to  come. 

One  of  his  objects  in  coming  to  Washington  was  to  try 
to  secure  employment  at  higher  wages  than  he  was  able 
to  get  in  Chihuahua. 

"What  do  you  wish  to  do?"  asked  a  newspaper  cor 
respondent,  who  was  interviewing  the  Plunger  on  the 
street. 

"Oh,  it  does  not  matter  what  I  do;  but  it  is  the  price 
I  get,  about  which  I  am  concerned.  I  mean,  of  course, 
it  does  not  matter  what  I  do,  so  long  as  I  am  engaged  in 
an  honest  business,"  replied  the  Plunger. 

"Then  you  do  not  care  to  make  another  'plunge*  on 
someone's  else  money,  in  order  to  make  a  stake?'' 
asked  the  reporter,  with  a  meaning  smile. 

"Well,  hardly ;  the  taste  I  had  of  that  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  eighteen  hundred  and  ninety-eight,  as  the 
makers  of  the  chronicle  said  then,  has  not  left  me  yet. 
No  son,  no  more  plunging  for  me.  Remorse  of  con 
science  is  the  greatest  punishment  one  can  have.  Take 
the  advice  of  a  man  who  remembers,  son,  and  never  en 
gage  in  dishonest  transactions.  There  will  come  a  day, 


The  Celebration.  299 

as  sure  as  fate,  when  you  will  have  to  repair  the  wrongs 
you  have  committed,  if  you  do,"  was  the  fatherly  advice 
of  the  Plunger. 

The  reporter  stood  quietly  by  for  a  few  moments,  no 
doubt  revolving  in  his  mind  the  many  exaggerated 
stories  he  had  written  about  different  people,  and 
wondering  if  he  would  in  a  life  to  come,  be  compelled 
to  retract  all  he  had  said. 

The  Plunger  noticed  his  thoughtful  attitude,  and 
said :  "When  you  take  'Memory  Fluid/  you  will  ponder 
more  seriously  than  you  do  now.  Come,  help  a  fellow 
if  you  can.  I  want  to  get  this  burden  of  debt  off  my 
shoulders." 

"It  was  on  that  subject  I  was  studying,  my  friend. 
I  know  a  man  who  wants  a  head  gardener;  wages,  one 
hundred  dollars  a  month  and  board,"  replied  the  re 
porter. 

"I  hope  I  can  get  the  job,"  said  the  Plunger,  as  the 
two  walked  on  arm  in  arm. 

"We  will  see  about  it  at  once,  then  go  to  the  audi 
torium  to  hear  the  discourses  upon  the  great  scientific 
subjects.  Ah,  and  I  must  have  you  in  the  description 
of  this  great  celebration.  What  a  lucky  fellow  I  am 
to  have  fallen  in  with  you  this  morning.  I  will  be  pro 
moted  to  city  editor  on  account  of  getting  the  first 
interview  with  you,"  said  the  reporter,  delighted  over 
;he  prospects. 

"If  I  get  the  job  you  mention,"  replied  the  Plunger, 
;<no  one  else  can  have  an  interview  with  me." 

On  seeing  a  man  coming  toward  them,  the  reporter 
became  very  excited,  and  exclaimed :  "There  is  Judge 


300        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

Barrow  now !  I  am  in  luck  again.  He  is  the  man  who 
wants  a  gardener." 

At  that  moment  Judge  Barrow  met  them  He 
seemed  to  be  very  much  in  a  hurry  and  when  the  re 
porter  spoke  to  him,  he  said,  hurriedly:  "No  inter 
view  this  morning,  Tom.  Nothing  new." 

"But,  Judge,  one  moment.  You  want  a  gardener,  do 
you  not?"  exclaimed  the  reporter,  hurrying  after  him. 

"Yes,"  said  the  judge,  turning  around. 

"Well,  I  have  just  the  man  here  for  you,"  fraid  the 
reporter,  delighted  at  his  success  so  far. 

"What  experience  has  the  man  had?"  asked  the 
judge. 

"Oh,  he  has  had  none;  he  is  the  'Plunger  from 
Kansas' !" 

"The  what?  The  Tlunger  from  Kansas'!"  ex- 
claimed  Judge  Barrow,  eying  him  closely. 

"That's  my  title,  Judge.  I  have  had  no  experience; 
for  since  I  made  the  memorable  plunge,  I  have  lived  the 
life  of  a  gentleman  through  the  biggest  part  of  three 
existences,  but  since  I  had  to  whack  up,  I  have  been 
dead-broke,  and  am  still  in  debt.  I  will  get  out  of  debt 
in  this  life,  if  I  am  given  a  chance." 

"Ah,  you  are  a  noble  young  fellow.  You  can  have 
the  job,  at  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  a  month, 
and  board.  Show  up  in  the  morning,  young  man.  It 
is  a  great  thing  for  me  to  have  such  a  noted  person  for 
my  gardener,"  concluded  the  judge,  as  he  left  the  two 
men  spellbound. 

"After  all,  I  am  not  having  such  a  bad  tim*1.  It  is 
not  so  bad  to  repent,  after  all,"  said  the  Plunger. 


The  Celebration.  301 

"Nor  to  have  been  a  subject"  added  the  reporter. 
"Who  are  the  people  coming  toward  us;  they  seem  to 
recognize  you.  Are  they  some  of  your  friends  in  a  life 
gone  by  ?"  asked  the  reporter. 

"Yes,  and  no,"  seriously  said  the  Plunger.  "The 
man,  however  queer  it  may  sound  to  you,  was  once  my 
son.  In  this  life,  no ;  and  the  woman  upon  whose  arm 
he  is  clinging  is  his  wife." 

"How  strange !  The  man  is  much  older  than  you. 
This  is  an  age  of  marvels,  and  when  I  stop  to  consider, 
I  am  at  sea  without  a  pilot,  or  in  a  wilderness  without  a 
guide,"  commented  the  reporter. 

At  that  moment  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Degatau  came  up, 
smiling,  no  doubt,  at  seeing  on  the  street  of  a  big, 
strange  city,  a  familiar  face. 

Juan  Degatau  held  his  hand  out  to  the  Plunger,  and 
said:  "Papa,  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  This  celebration 
could  have  not  have  been  much  of  a  success,  had  you 
stayed  away." 

"That  I  had  no  thought  of  doing.  I  have  a  twofold 
purpose  in  being  here,  however,"  replied  the  Plunger. 

"Yes?"  said  Mrs.  Degatau,  without  further  question. 

"Ah,  what  a  crowd  of  distinguished  looking  people. 
I  must  get  out  amongst  them  and  see  if  I  cannot  get 
items  for  to-morrow's  paper,  which  The  Hidden  does 
not  contain,"  said  the  reporter,  moving  away  uneasily. 

"That  you  cannot  do,"  said  Juan;  "for  if  the  seer 
sees  fit  to  report  to  The  Hidden,  the  most  powerful 
daily  paper  in  the  world,  the  trivial  affairs  you  are  col 
lecting  this  morning,  your  paper  will  fall  short  of  being 
anything  but  second-class." 


302        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

"Now,  son,"  said  the  Plunger,  his  tone  betraying  the 
satire  he  evidently  tried  to  conceal,  "don't  be  so  bard  on 
Tom.  He  is  doing  the  best  he  knows  how.  What 
were  your  thoughts  before  you  remembered?  Tom  has 
done  for  me  this  morning,  more  than  my  son  (and  he 
has  been  a  subject)  ever  offered  to  do  for  me." 

"The  reporter,  no  doubt,  was  born  to  a  higher  plane 
in  his  first  existence,  than  your  son,"  curtly  replied 
Juan,  "and  that  accounts  for  his  natural  kindness  of 
heart.  The  curse  of  having  to  live  through  three  exist 
ences  in  punishment,  on  account  of  the  house  in  which 
one  lived  his  first  existence  being  so  full  of  sin,  did  not 
fall  to  his  lot.  Good  morning,  gentlemen,  good 
morning;  my  wife  and  I  are  going  to  the  auditorium. 
If  we  tarry  longer,  we  will  not  get  in.  I  wish  you 
and  Tom,  Papa,  much  luck."  Juan  bowed  very  low, 
and  together  with  his  wife,  walked  very  rapidly  toward 
the  auditorium. 

The  third  and  last  evening  of  xue  great  celebration, 
in  honor  of  the  seventh  anniversary  of  the  marriage  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  Miguel  Lehumada, 
and  Helen  Hinckley,  was  at  hand. 

Sharply  at  eight  o'clock,  the  house  already  filled  to 
its  utmost  for  an  hour  or  more,  arose  at  a  signal  given  by 
the  master  of  ceremonies,  to  witness  the  arrival  of  the 
President,  his  wife,  and  their  beautiful  twins,  a  boy 
and  a  girl  six  years  old,  moving  through  the  air.  When 
they  took  the  seats  assigned  for  them  on  the  rostrum, 
the  audience  sat  down.  After  the  President's  address 
of  welcome,  there  was  an  eloquent  discourse  by  the  great 
seer,  Julio  Murillo,  upon  the  "Divine  in  Man,"  in  which 


The  Celebration.  303 

he  spoke  of  the  discovery  of  "Memory  Fluid,"  the  great 
destroyer  of  germs,  without  any  but  good  effects  upon 
the  physical,  making  man  in  his  physical  state  cog 
nizant  of  all  his  past,  and  creating  in  him  a  desire  for 
a  knowledge  of  the  Great  Cause. 

At  the  close  of  his  remarkable  address,  he  spoke  of 
the  strange  effect  of  Ebony  Fluid  upon  animal  matter, 
after  the  spirit  had  taken  its  flight.  A  screen  was  re 
moved  from  the  side  of  the  rostrum,  which  disclosed  to 
view  the  ebonized  bodies  of  Francisco  K.  Cantu,  Father 
Hernandez,  Eev.  J.  T.  Note,  Harriet  Motuble,  and  last, 
of  the  little  child,  Catalina  Martinet. 

These  bodies  had  been  in  the  National  Museum  for 
some  months,  but  had  never  been  unveiled  for  inspec 
tion.  The  history  of  all  the  persons,  whose  bodies, 
black  as  midnight  and  as  hard  as  flint,  stood  before 
them,  was  familiar  to  everybody,  and  were  objects  of 
very  great  interest  in  consequence. 

The  two  children  of  the  President  ran  from  one 
ebonized  body  to  the  other,  while  Julio  Murillo  ex 
plained  which  had  been  occupied  respectively  by  the 
five  persons  who  had  made  many  pages  of  history  teem 
with  interest. 

The  little  girl  was  a  beautiful  brown-eyed  child,  re 
tiring  and  quiet  and  a  very  striking  likeness  of  the 
President. 

The  boy,  much  taller  than  the  girl,  was  aggressive, 
and  quite  the  constrast  of  his  sister  Helen.  His  hair 
was  light  brown  and  curly,  and  his  eyes  were  blue. 
Little  Miguey,  as  he  was  called,  after  his  famous  father, 
was  strikingly  unlike  either  of  his  parents. 


304        Liquid  from  the  Sun's  Rays. 

His  great  talent  for  music  had  been  cultivated  by 
the  best  masters,  and  at  the  tender  age  of  six  years 
he  could  handle  skillfully  any  musical  instrument;  but 
his  fondness  for  the  horn  was  shown  by  the  masterly 
way  in  which  he  played  upon  it. 

The  committee  in  charge  of  the  music  for  the  cele 
bration  secured  the  consent  of  the  President  and  his 
wife  to  allow  their  talented  son  to  play  the  horn  in 
the  last  musical  number  on  the  program,  for  the  last 
evening  of  the  celebration.  It  would  be  his  first  ap 
pearance  in  public,  yet  the  fact  gave  him  no  concern. 

The  large  horn  used  by  the  child  hung  on  a  rack  on 
the  rostrum,  and  was  an  object  of  much  interest,  as 
well  as  the  ebony  figures. 

Julio  Murillo  concluded  his  talk  upon  the  subject  of 
ebony  bodies,  by  saying:  "The  souls  which  once  oc 
cupied  these  bodies,  are  here  in  spirit,  and  with  others 
whom  we  knew  in  a  life  gone  by,  will  now  appear  be 
fore  us,  and  we  will  have  music  from  the  spirit  choir." 

The  stillness  in  the  room  was  appalling  to  those  who 
did  not  know,  to  the  uninitiated,  until  the  music  began. 

At  first  the  Spirit  Choir  was  invisible;  but  as  the 
music  grew  in  power,  first  one,  then  another  could  be 
seen  surrounding  the  President's  family,  until  all  who 
were  taking  part  were  seen.  After  the  conclusion  of 
their  music,  Mrs.  Lehumada  arose  to  thank  them,  and 
when  she  had  expressed  her  thanks  for  their  music  and 
for  the  pleasure  she  had  at  seeing  them,  she  concluded : 
"There  is  but  one  thing  concerning  this  celebration 
which  makes  me  sad,  and  that  is,  dear  spirit  friends, 
that  you  did  not  bring  a  little  child  I  once  loved  dearly, 


The  Celebration.  305 

Catalina  Martinet;  and  another,  a  lady  whom  I  grew 
to  wish  for  after  she  passed  to  spirit  land — she  of 
whom  I  speak  was  called  Harriet  Motuble.  And  her 
music  on  the  horn  in  spirit  was  only  to  be  heard  once, 
to  be  wished  for  again." 

"Dear  Mamma,"  cried  little  Helen,  "do  you  not  know 
that  it  is  I,  who  was  Catalina  whom  you  loved?  I 
came  back  to  you  and  my  dear  papa — that  is  Cata- 
lina's  ebonized  body.  I  live  again." 

The  President  clasped  the  child  in  his  arms,  and  the 
audience  went  wild  with  delight. 

Little  Miguey  took  his  big  horn  from  off  the  rack, 
and  stepping  to  the  front,  said:  "And  it  was  I,  dear 
Mamma,  who  was  Marriet  Motuble — and  you  shall 
hear  my  music." 

The  crowd  arose  in  amazement,  and  while  the  strange 
child  played  divinely  upon  the  big  horn,  the  spirit  band 
disappeared. 

And  when  the  child  laid  his  horn  up,  his  mother 
arose,  and  clasping  him  in  her  arms,  said:  "After 
all,  there  are,  even  to  the  initiated,  many  things  which 
cannot  be  explained." 

And  there  was  heard  throughout  the  great  audi 
torium  the  musical  murmur  of  "Amen." 

Saltillo,  Mexico,  Wednesday,  September  12,  1899, 
12  o'clock  A.  M. 

THE   END. 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA      000121410    5 


UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

University  of  California,  San  Diego 

DATE  DUE 


2    1966 


lwi-ll,'64(F311s2)0380 


